Hope's Flower
by He-Jay
Summary: I will kill that damned witch with my own hands. She tried to take everything from me, and she won't stop till she does so. But I won't run. Because you're here. Characters only extend from Elesis to Jin. No demons, no immortals, no goddesses, and no prevailing romance between Arme and Lass.
1. Trusting

I really like LirexLass =) Sorry to all the ArmexLass fans out there! Haha.

* * *

"**Dammit! Damn it all!**"

Elesis ground her teeth in frustration as she smashed her blade into the ground. Nor was she alone in her anger. They were all close, so close to killing Kaze'Aze, Queen of Darkness. Yet she had eluded them again, mocking them as she fled.

"Your quest for 'peace' is merely an illusion." She sneered. "No matter what you do, humans will never escape the strife that they make!"

But, as Lire had pointed out, it wasn't a complete failure. Kaze'Aze had possessed a human and attacked them, probably thinking that the Grand Chase wouldn't possibly kill a human on their conscience. But in the end, though she was gone, the human was still here. Badly hurt, but still breathing. He was saved, but at what cost? The victim was a boy, a child. He was at an age where he should still be enjoying his childhood without pain. But Kaze'Aze had taken that away from him, tainting it with innocent blood.

"I'm a murderer." He had yelled when he stirred from unconsciousness. "I remember them…people…I killed them!"

"Please, calm down." Ronan stepped forward. The child cringed away with the eyes of a wild animal that was caught in a trap. "You did not kill them, it was her. She made you do this."

"Yes, it's all right now. Please come, you need to heal." Arme also walked towards the silverette with the kindest expression she could make. "It's all right now. It's over. See?"

"No..." He did not see. He still looked frantically at the members of the Chase. Did these people understand what he had done? The destruction he had caused? If the purple-haired girl said it was over, why did he still feel so bleak and tense…? It didn't feel over. He could still feel the darkness threatening to swallow him…why couldn't they feel it? The evil was still here!

"Wait!" Another girl stumbled in this time. Her dishevelled yellow locks waving about, her eyes were a mix of concern and caution. "It's not over." Ah, someone finally seemed to understand this madness. The boy looked up, sapphire eyes meeting jade. She smiled weakly at the boy, then to the others, "Don't you guys feel it?"

"Feel what?" The rest of the Chase had similar expressions of confusion and bewilderment.

"Ryan!" She turned towards the group, looking at another person with very orange hair with an expression of exasperation and anxiety. "Don't you feel it?" Ryan just stood there, looking as helpless as his other teammates.

"Lire, I think you just need some rest." Amy said sympathetically. "I mean, look at you!"

The blonde elf was a rather sorry sight. Battling the possessed boy had taken a toll on all of them; his dexterity and quickness exceeded far beyond their own as he leapt and dodged, inflicting small but numerous cuts on each of them. But Lire had received the worst end; noticing her incapability of extreme close combat and her tendency to attack from a distance, Kaze'Aze made the boy attack her most, riddling her body with deadly slashes and gashes. Even now, her movements seemed awry and weak, which made the silver-haired boy's guilt multiple by tenfold. She looked like she was about to faint.

"But–"

"We all have to go back to Serdin Castle; the Knight Master'll have to know about this. We're running out of potions anyway."

"Yeah, Lire, just hang in there…"

"Uhn…" Drained, injured, unable to endure the pain any longer, Lire crumpled onto the ground. Her bow clattered from her hand as she fell with a dull _thump_.

So much for 'hanging in there.'

"_Lire!_" Horrified, Arme turned to help her friend. "We need to heal her!" Forgetting her own fatigue, she was about to take out her staff when Ryan stopped her.

"Not here." he said gently, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Elves are more receptive to evil energies than humans, it'd be best to get out of here first." Arme, about to argue, decided to shut up; he had a point. Lire was getting paler by the minute, and even Ryan looked a little queasy, being also an elf.

"Well..." Abandoning attempts to heal the archer, the mage now attempted to carry Lire on her back. Not that she was exactly fat or anything, but she was a good foot taller than Arme, and she wasn't in her best state.

"Here, let me." Striding over, the thief picked up the unconscious elf into a Firefighter Carry as if she were weightless. His stature was small, so to see him lift her like nothing raised expressions of awe on their faces.

"It's the least I can do." he said defensively; these people had tried to help him, rescued him, yet he had paid them with injuries, this elf most of all. Out of them, he wanted to help her, whom they called Lire, most of all. "Are we going?"

"R-right." Covering her confusion and concern with her usual brisk attitude, Elesis lead the Chase back to the Castle. All the time, Lass never let go of Lire, and kept by her side as Arme slowly healed her wounds, ignoring his own. Why he suddenly felt this attachment to the elfin girl, no one had the slightest idea, including him. He'd never seen her before, and it wasn't like she showed a particular interest…right?

* * *

"You have done a great service, Chasers. I am pleased." The Knight Master had been duly informed of the recent events, and she gave the Grand Chase a rare smile. "Kaze'Aze is weakened, and you've even managed to save one of her victims. I'm impressed."

The Chase had been gathered in an elegantly furnished room…well, the ones that were conscious. Lire was still recovering, and Arme had also fainted as she had tried to heal everyone, endangering her own waning health.

"But what boon is that? We have failed to destroy her…" The Master raised a hand, silencing the Red Knight.

"…yet you have saved the boy, who would have continued to destroy everything had you not intervened. That alone is worthy of praise. But where is the boy?"

"He is sleeping right now, I saw him to one of the spare rooms." Ronan added hastily, "if that is okay with you, Knight Master."

"Yes, of course. The child must be exhausted from the ordeal." She nodded thoughtfully. "I would like to see him join the Chase…" she trailed off, apparently oblivious to the immediate effect that it had.

"But–but Master!" Elesis spluttered, the first to regain her voice. "Are you so sure? He's…he's killed so many people!"

"Against his will. Kaze'Aze has her way with her puppets. The blood she put on his hands is void; and he is free now."

"But, he is only a child…a couple years younger than all of us, by the looks of it." Jin said in his usual, calm manner. "At such an age, he should be enjoying his youth."

"I agree." Ryan interjected. "Maybe he can live in one of the surrounding villages. Sure more than one family would willingly adopt him and help him rebuild himself."

"And he's killed thousands of people…not by him of course! But…"

"Is it so safe to trust him? He…"

"Enough." Though soft, it quickly silenced the group. "I understand your doubts, but it may be a chance for him to redeem himself. The child had been possessed for so long; living a life in the villages will not suit him. And this is exactly what Kaze'Aze wants; letting the seeds of suspicion and distrust to start another war. The boy deserves a chance, and I shall give it to him. Ronan, surely you remember your time with the Queen of Darkness?"

"I–" He flushed. Long ago, he too had been possessed by Kaze'Aze through the Shadow Orb. It was the only stain on his otherwise flawless honour, and the memories that accompanied it were not exactly fond ones. With the Chase's help (which only constituted of the original trio that time), he had shattered it, but that was the only thing he truly hated.

Seeing that she had scored a telling point, the Knight Master softened. "There is much more to discuss, yet you are all tired. Inform Lire and Arme of this when they stir, and tell the boy…what is his name?"

Silence.

"You mean you didn't even ask for his name?" she asked, a tad exasperated.

"We– we did, Master." Elesis faltered. "But he wouldn't tell. Each time we tried to talk to him, he would give us the evil eye and turn his back towards us."

"Ah. Well, give him some time." She sighed. "I'm sorry to keep from your rest and healing. Your injuries will be tended to." At the snap of her fingers, a dozen or so healers barged into the room and carried them out, amid their squealing and protests. Sighing again, the Knight Master also departed the room, the massive doors closing with a loud _boom_.

Above the ceiling, perched on the edge, was the silverette, his expression torn between gratitude and pain.

He had been shown to his room, and told to stay there, which he did…for about two milliseconds before he took off. His agility providing the stealth he needed, he first went out to check if Lire was all right. Then Arme. After aimlessly wandering around, he was about to return to his room…when he heard voices.

"_I would like to see him join the Chase…"_

"_He's…he's killed so many people!"_

"…_not his fault…"_

"_Is it safe to trust him?"_

"_**Is it safe to trust him?" **_That was the statement that haunted his mind the most.

To the Knight Master he was infinitely grateful. She was fully aware of his past, what he had done, and to still give him another chance! It was more than he could have dreamed. If only the Chase were as accepting…

Well, they were fighters. Fighters usually weren't quick to accept things, especially such like him. But it was not their fault. He had committed murder, violence, and other atrocities that even he himself had no memory of. How would they accept someone like him so easily?

"_Is it safe to trust him?"_ He could find no answer. They had said it was over, that he was safe now, but why did he still feel that sickening pull that he got in his heart whenever Kaze'Aze used his body to go on a massive killing spree? Maybe the darkness had been hardwired into his mind, already corrupting his soul. Maybe he really was beyond rescuing, not to be trusted. A threat.

_I'm really a murderer_, he thought to himself. He could now see flashes of his battle with the Grand Chase, dodging their blows, inflicting painful ones of his own…an arrow barely missing his arm, noticing the archer from a far-off distance, shooting him, the blood that spurted…the blood…the blood…

_An unforgivable murderer_, he thought to himself as he went back to his room, his guilt weighing heavier than ever, unable to find an outlet for it.


	2. Hoping

안녕! Yes, me again. I'm actually really proud of this story, and tips on improvement is always welcome!

(However, the anoying thing with writing stories is that once you begin to write them, they begin to move on their own. You have the main ideas, but once it starts, you can't change it. It becomes something living...or almost living, anyway. You can shape it, but it no longer depends wholly on you...at least for me, anyway. Ahaha!)

^Ignore that and enjoy!

* * *

_The village was on fire. All of them were fleeing for their lives, even though they knew it was pointless. Screams penetrated the air as a pair of daggers slashed through the night. Night. A perfect image of what he was feeling right now; dark, hopeless, empty._

_People shrieked for help that would never come as they attempted to escape, treading over rubble, falling debris, and corpses. Corpses of their family, friends, neighbours, strangers, livestock. And of course, blood. Lots of blood, just the way she liked it._

"_See them?" Kaze'Aze hissed with amusement as she tugged on the strings, forcing him to walk faster towards the victims. "See how little they care for anyone but themselves when danger strikes? Humanity is an abomination, my dear Lass. These selfish creatures deserve what they get." She forced him to move faster, irritated by his reluctance and distress. "Move!"_

"_Mama...help...help me..."_

_He looked ahead. Inside a burning hut, a little boy and girl huddled together, fear clearly etched in their eyes. The boy was coughing as he tried to block the smoke with his hands, but already his eyes were dimming. The girl, apparently his sister, was desperately trying to keep him awake as she filtered the choking air with her sleeve._

"_...she will come for us." He could hear the girl saying. "Mama is going to come for us."_

"_It hurts...I'm h-hot..."_

"_No! Just wait a bit more, she's going to save us!"_

_Without realizing it, Lass had come to a stop, and stared at the siblings. Despite being possessed, he felt a surge of pity for them. Them and their blind faith._

"_Look at them, Lass." Kaze'Aze's voice no longer dripped with callous amusement or fake pity, it carried something else. Not irritation, but hate. Pure hate. "Even their own mother had betrayed them, left them to burn, yet they still believe that she would return. The _fools_!"_

_Was she talking about the mother who supposedly left them or the children and their pitiful hope? Lass didn't know._

"_End their misery, boy." she said coldly. Lass desperately tried to stop his body from making those wooden movements, but it was no use. His arms easily ripped a burning timber in half, granting him entryway to the burning shelter. The children looked up, their faces burned and charred black with grime. "Kill them."_

"_Mister...?" Their eyes showed their confusion as the daggers swooped downwards..._

Lass flinched, wrenching his eyelids open to dispel the nightmare. Still half-asleep, he was aware of a falling sensation. He was plummeting down...down...

Plop.

Making sudden movements while sitting on a rather narrow window ledge was not the smartest idea. Then again, the bed was ridiculously soft, the blankets choking his body. Like a trap. He had always slept on the hard ground, the top of trees, and the many rocky ledges that jutted out in Kaze'Aze's Castle. In his opinion, the bed was way too comfortable. Fortunately, he had fallen on the right side, faceplanting onto the floor in his room instead of falling three stories high into the courtyard.

Picking himself up, he slumped into a chair, attempting to steady his breathing as he tried to block the memories from his mind. Each and every person whom he had personally killed seemed to be branded into his mind. Their looks of surprise, incomprehension, and fear were all the same. The chased him, tormented him, a constant reminder of who he was. A killer.

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud knocking on the door. "Hey...are you in there?" A male voice called out. "The Knight Master wants to see you."

He stood there, unsure of what to do. Privacy was an unfamiliar concept to him; Kaze'Aze and her monster forces usually did not do that kind of thing.

"Open the door~!" Another voice, this time more high-pitched, chimed in.

Lass opened the door, just a tiny crack. There stood Ronan and Arme, smiling. "Morning!" they greeted.

"Uh...hi." He opened the door a little more, causing Ronan's eyes to widen and Arme to wince.

"Why, look at you!" The mage scolded. He had slept in the same clothes which he fought in, which were now stained with dried blood, filth, and mud. "You slept like this?"

"Go to the closet over there, you'll see some fresh clothes." Ronan gave an encouraging smile.

"Ok." Despite their well-meant advances, Lass still kept wary. "I'll catch up to you later." he mumbled.

"Sure, go to the main room on the lower floor. Knight Master doesn't like to be kept waiting." He closed the door gently, but Lass didn't relax until he could hear their footsteps fading into the distance.

As soon as he was sure they were gone, he buried his head in his hands. They were so kind, so welcoming. But they still doubted him, and rightfully so. His heart burned fiercely with hate for that damned witch, Kaze'Aze. Why was he, of all persons, made to be an instrument of destruction? He would end her life. He swore it. He would not hurt anyone else, especially these people. With that thought in mind, he headed towards the closet.

* * *

Lass peeked out the door. There was not a single living thing in the hallway. Wordlessly he made to go down to meet the Knight Master.

His room was at the end of the corridor, so he got to walk by all the other Chaser's doors. Each door had their distinct colour and their name printed neatly in the middle. Except his. His was a guest room, so his door was blank.

He walked by them swiftly, reading their names as they went. Ronan. Elesis. Ryan. Arme. Amy. Jin. Lire–

His feet seemed to stop on their own. He stood in front of the yellow-and-green door. Hers and Ryan's were the only ones that had more than one defined colour. Lass had seen them, fully clad in green armour. Yet their hair colours also seemed to sort their colours as well. While all the others had a full red or blue door, this one was green with a complex yellow pattern embroidering the door. Did she draw that herself? Had she fully healed from her injuries?

Lass didn't know how close he was to the door until it swung open.

Instinctively, Lass sprang back into a defensive position with his daggers at the ready. Lire, who was equally surprised at finding a stranger right outside her door, also jumped back. Then she relaxed, and her lips formed a polite smile. "I am not armed."

"Right." Lass scrambled out of his defence stance, awkwardly putting his daggers back and feeling like an utter fool.

"Hello." she stepped closer to him. Her golden hair was neatly pulled into a ponytail, and her emerald eyes twinkled with a curious light. She looked much better than yesterday, though bandages still covered parts of her body; her left arm, her right shoulder, her face, and her right leg was tightly bound in white cloth. He winced.

"Are you okay?" Lire asked, startled by the suddenly depressed look on his face. She reached out, presumably to pat him on the shoulder. Immediately he jerked away, which he regretted an instant later. But spending years with an abusive madwoman had its toll on him, and the slightest touch seemed like a deadly threat to the thief.

"My apologies." she smiled sheepishly. "I should go now." She gently closed the door and made to leave, using the wall to support herself.

"Wait!" she turned, eyes questioning.

"I'm sorry." he blurted, unable to look at her directly in the eye. He stared at the floor, feeling smaller and smaller.

"Sorry?" Confusion was in her voice. "Why would you be sorry?"

Lass fiddled his daggers; what was he sorry about? That he recoiled from her touch? Inflicted all those nasty wounds? "Well...because..." He fumbled. He was never that good with words, and now his tongue completely failed him.

Sensing the boy's discomfort, Lire smiled again. "Whatever the reason, you have my full forgiveness." Careful to keep a distance so as not to make him nervous, she slowly limped away, Lass watching her. As she made to turn around the corner, she looked back and asked, "Didn't the Knight Master summon you?"

Crap. He raced through the corridors and staircases with the speed of a cheetah. How could he have forgotten?

He'd forgotten where the room was supposed to be...as he was looking from left to right, he forgot to see what was ahead of him, and ran smack into Elesis.

"Watch where you're going!" she yelled angrily. When she saw who it was, her expression didn't change. "The new kid...hey, what's your name?"

He grunted an apology as he made to take off again. "Hey, I was talking to you!" she yelled. Tactfully ignoring her, Lass ran on.

After spending several more minutes of getting lost in the giant castle, he finally found the main room. The Knight Master was there, alone. And she didn't look too happy.

"You took your time, Chaser." she said sternly, crossing her arms in disapproval.

"I'm sorry– wait, what?" he looked up in astonishment; how could he be accepted to quickly and readily?

"Pardon me, it's a bit too early to call you that yet." she said, her eyes twinkling. "But I do not know your name. Tell me, what is it?"

To anyone else, Lass would've said nothing; his name was irritating as well as humiliating. _Lass. _What his parents had in mind when they were naming him, he had no idea. Perhaps they wanted a girl, but still gave him that name anyway. Ugh.

But this wasn't anyone; this was the Knight Master, the one who formed the Grand Chase. She had given him another chance when no one else would. "It's Lass." he said quietly but defiantly, braced for the mocking laughter.

But she did not laugh. Her expression remained calm, and she continued, "Well then, Lass, do you wish to join the Grand Chase?"

"What do they do?"

"They pledge their lives to eradicate the evil of the world." she explained. "They defend the innocent and slay those who wreak havoc. Namely, the Dark Madwoman." Her features curled in disgust; never would she call her the _Queen_ of Darkness, for royalty was the last thing she was. "But there are other threats, and the Grand Chase is always ready."

"I see...and how did the other people join?" He couldn't help but be intrigued of the other Chasers, how they'd come to join such a group.

"Some have personal scores to settle with some of the enemies. Others merely wish to prevent further unnecessary sacrifice, while others are just on the lookout for an adventure." she half-smiled. "For further details, you can ask them yourself."

"I...ok. I want to join." he said firmly. After all, he had sworn an oath to himself that he would end the witch's life himself. It was the only way.

"Good." She stood up, her sword jangling at her waist. "You will have to be tested, and there are three parts to this trial. Are you prepared, or do you need time to practice?"

"I am ready." he said. "As ready as I'll ever be."

* * *

Thank you to Kumiho and Crackbrain for the very nice reviews! (Cool names, by the way.)


	3. Preparing

She led him into the weaponry room. Inside were all the weapons a warrior could hope to have. Swords, longbows, axes, tridents, stink bombs...you name it. All of them had been neatly polished and shined in the morning light. Lass couldn't help but stare in amazement.

"We have a large assortment of weapons here. You are free to use any of them; do you have anything particular in mind?"

Lass didn't want to appear ungrateful by telling her he already had his own weapons, his set of daggers. But then his eyes spotted it: a rack, containing the most beautiful set of kunai. The tips gleamed black in the sunlight, giving off a deadly glow. They were sharp, and long, but small enough to put in his pocket, perfect when stuck in tight corners. He pointed at them. "Can I use those?"

"Of course."

He strode over and gripped the blade. It fit well into his hand, like it had been made for him. But then he noticed another detail: the hoop end of each kunai each had a distinct colour. The one he held was a faded purple. He looked to the Knight Master for an explanation.

"Each of those weapons has their own effect." She said. "The one you have right now will create a mini shockwave when thrown. The others, well, you'll see when you use them." She winked.

"You mean…I can have all of these?" He asked in disbelief. "_All _of them?" He thought she'd give him only one, but to have the entire set…

"Not much people here have the competency to wield such weapons, but I think you will manage." She went over and swept the entire row of kunai off the rack, giving it to Lass.

"T-thank you."

"Don't thank me till you've truly earned them. The other Chasers and I will watch you from within to evaluate, but we won't interfere. Will it be a problem?"

"No." He almost forgot to add, "Knight Master."

"Excellent. The first test is in Trial Forest…but you don't know the way." She frowned.

As luck would have it, Ronan just happened to pass by them.

"Ah, Ronan!" The Knight Master called. "Will you be so kind as to lead Lass to Trial Forest?"

"Yes? Lass?" he asked. "Who's Lass– oh!" Recognition dawned upon his face. "Yes. Come on, Lass." He beckoned for him to follow.

"I will call the rest of the Chasers. Good luck to you, Lass." The Knight Master nodded to him and disappeared, leaving the thief with Ronan.

* * *

"Lire? Are you really okay?" Arme asked worriedly as she supported the elf.

"Yes, really, I'm fine." She smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, to burden you like this…"

"Of course it's not a burden!" The mage squeaked indignantly.

"So Knight Master was serious about recruiting him?" Amy said.

"Tell me about a time when she _wasn't_ serious."

"He looked so broken…and sad." Arme said with sympathy.

"How long has he been possessed?"

"Where's Ronan?"

"Haven't seen him. Should I get him?"

"Nah, he'll come. He always listens to Knight Master anyway."

They were walking towards the Control Room, a new room that had been designed by Bermesiah's most skilled engineers and mechanics to evaluate new recruits, showing their progress through Trila Forest and Trial Tower. It had been newly built, and the Knight Master was itching to try it out. They were to observe the silver-haired boy as he went through all the trials to become a member of Grand Chase. Some of them grumbled a bit as it messed up their schedules, but on the most part, most were curious about the his skills.

"So…why was he so attached to Lire?" Amy looked around, a knowing smile creeping into her face.

They groaned; everyone knew where this was going. "He was probably upset with how he hurt me more than you guys. If it weren't for Arme, I'd have probably died." she quickly interjected.

Amy shrugged. "Maybe, but still, I wonder…"

"Amy?" Elesis asked with a fake smile.

"Hm?"

"Shut up, Amy."

"What if I say no?"

"I'll beat you into a pulp."

"Just try it." She readied her violin, smirking.

"Yeah?"

"No. Both of you shut up." Arme interrupted.

Lire made the necessary interruption. "We're here, now behave yourselves."

* * *

For a few minutes, they walked in silence, with Lass walking slowly behind. But it was not an uncomfortable one. Lass felt no pressure to make idle talk. Time to time Ronan would turn around to make sure he was still following and give him a cheering smile, trying to put him at ease. Lass nervously smiled back. Ronan looked like a decent fellow, with his polite diplomacy and courtesy. Lass figured that out of them, he'd be one of the easier ones to talk to. He took a deep breath.

"Hey…"

"Hm?"

"Um…who are the members of the Chase?" He asked quietly.

"Right, we haven't introduced ourselves properly." He smiled guiltily. "There's only seven of us…eight if you join. Elesis is the unofficial leader, the one in Red." Lass cringed inwardly; that must have been the one he ran into prior to his meeting with Knight Master. Great. "Her weapon's the sword, and she was also the leader of the Ruby Knights."

"Lire's the elf, she's pretty handy with a bow…" Lass said nothing, but one could swear that he twitched for a second there. Ronan made sure to keep her description brief; the last thing the boy needed was another guilty episode.

"Arme is a mage, she really likes the colour purple…" _That's an understatement_, thought Lass. But she did heal him after Lire, so perhaps she wasn't all that bad. A bit overly cheerful, and rather short, but still okay.

"Ryan is also an elf, and I should warn you: NEVER break a tree around him, you'll regret it." Lass made a mental note to not be too close to him; when he fought, he wasn't the type to give damn about mutilating a couple of trees here and there.

"Amy's the Dancer. She's really optimistic and gets excited at times, but she's nice." _Translation: an overly hyperactive girl that I should stay away from at all times if I don't want to go insane._

"But don't be mean to her, or else Jin might kill you…not in the literal sense." He added hastily, seeing how Lass had stiffened at the word 'kill.' "He has a crush on Amy. Everyone knows about it…except for her. But he's a good at fighting and meditating." Lass shrugged; they'd get along fine, as long as Amy didn't annoy him too much.

"And then there's me: Ronan Erudon, former Guard Master of Kanavan." He grinned. "Now tell me a bit about yourself."

"I'm Lass. I–" What was he to say? The 'Former Puppet of Kaze'Aze'? He was no one, no one at all. Kaze'Aze…even thinking about her filled him with fiery hate and, though he refused to admit it, fear. Yes, Lass was afraid. He had broken free from her control, but he still felt that she was inexplicably close to him, taunting him, threatening to yank him into the shadows.

"_You will never escape from me, my little Lass." She mocked him after his first attempt at escape. "You are _such_ a fool…"_

"_Lemme go! I don't want to do this!" he yelled, forcing his eyes to remain dry; he learned the hard way that showing his tears would only amuse her, which would result in a new round of torture. He fought against his bindings like a cornered lion, knowing it was useless. He could still see their faces, screaming for mercy. He had laughed as they writhed in agony, as they pleaded for death. _No!_ His conscience struggled, it wasn't him who laughed at their pain, it was the witch. It wasn't him…it was her…wasn't him…_

"_Ah, but it _was_ you." she stepped closer. "And you enjoyed it, didn't you…?" Without warning, she grabbed his hand and held it out for him to see. "This was the hand that slit throats, drew blood, and ripped through the flesh of those human scum. And, oh my…it's stained in blood. It did a thorough job of it as well." she laughed, releasing his hand._

_Then she picked up the daggers. "What are these? Why, they're the tools of destruction, tools that you used to commit the massacres, the weapons of an assassin." She smiled as she casually licked the blood off one of the blades. "Mmm...they have served their master quite well." She let them clatter to the ground._

_She then tilted his chin up, and looked at him squarely in the eye. "Such handsome features…" she mused, caressing her puppet's face with her other hand. "This face laughed as it destroyed its enemies, didn't it? You wanted to do this, boy. Your face proved it. They deserved it all…the blood, the slaughter."_

"_No!" He stopped struggling, his face contorted in horror. Then it came, sliding down his face. Drip, drip. Those treacherous tears leaked and fell, no matter how he tried to staunch it. She was right. **He** had burned their villages and sent hordes of demons to slay the innocents. **His **hands were full of their blood. **He** had done this. **He **had killed them all._

_The Dark Queen sneered. "Lass…such a befitting name for you, boy. I have so much great plans for you, yet you continue to snivel like a pathetic girl. Perhaps we need another 'exercise'…" His body went limp as the feeling, the feeling that his body wasn't his to control anymore tinged through him again…_

Yes, he thought as he clenched his teeth, he would make the witch that made his life a living Hell pay. He may be a murderer, a killer, and he would probably suffer in real Hell for the crimes he committed, but he wouldn't go there alone. He'd drag her with him if it was the last thing he'd do! He'd join the Chase, and destroy her...before she destroyed him.

"It's okay if you don't want to say anything. I understand." Ronan said quietly.

Lass jerked; he had forgotten the Knight's presence. Suddenly, he remembered what the Knight Master had said: _"__Ronan, surely you remember your time with the Queen of Darkness?"_

"You were possessed by her too." it was a statement, not a question.

Ronan stopped, the colour draining from his face as he turned to face the thief.

"Yes, I was." he whispered, his voice almost inaudible.

"How...?"

"Another time, perhaps." The Knight turned, his face unreadable. "It's a memory I'm not fond of."

Lass hesitated, but let the matter drop. He too wanted to forget. But how could he, when that was all he could remember of his past? Beyond his killing sprees and the sufferings he endured within her Castle, he could remember virtually nothing. He had no memories of a happier place, a loving family, a normal life.

"We're here." They stopped. They were standing in front of a huge, brown and flat cylinder-shaped tile with a pentagram engraved onto it, along with magical incantations surrounding the circle, which looked like a bunch of nonsense to the thief.

"The first test is to defeat the monsters and get Treant's apple." He instructed. "Step right onto the middle of the pentagram, and you'll be transported to your destination. It's 100% safe, so no worries."

"Ok." Not bothering to question what a Treant was, he made to go on the tile.

"Wait!"

He fumbled with a leather pouch clasped to his hip that Lass didn't notice before. He took out a vial filled with clear red liquid and held it out. "Keep it, just in case."

"What is it?"

"A health potion, in case you get hurt. Use it when you need to."

Lass took it without another word. These people were so kind to him, and gave him so many presents: new weapons, a potion. He'd never been cared for like this before. "Thanks." he mumbled, a lump forming in his throat. He stepped onto the portal.

As the portal began to glow, he started to feel a tiny bit nervous. What if he didn't make it? If he failed…? Out of impulse, he looked back at Ronan. They weren't technically friends, but…

"You'll do well." The Spell Knight said, seeing the fear hidden in his eyes.

"How do you know?" Lass responded.

"Because we believe in you. All of us."

With that, the portal flashed a brilliant white light and Lass disappeared completely.

* * *

And there it is, Chapter 3. Thanks to DarkAznVampZard (...that's your name, right?) for the tips. I really appreciated it :) More advice/reviews/tips welcome!


	4. Seeing

Man I'm tired...

* * *

Ah, Trial Forest. The three original Chasers remembered it as their beginning point, the first testing they went through when they were newbs. None of them could forget the little Slimes and Mushmons that inhabited the woods.

"I'm here!" Ronan huffed as he dashed into the room.

"Where've you been?" Elesis said disapprovingly. "The test's about to start!"

"Sorry, I took a little detour." He grinned as he looked at the screen. "Look, he's coming out."

Every head swivelled to see the screen, which now showed Lass materializing on the portal. But instead of the cheerful forest that would've invoked nostalgia in the Chasers, the surroundings had been somewhat…altered. There was an ominous air about the area, as if it were cloaked in darkness and something was waiting to jump out of the bushes. Even the mushrooms were changed; instead of the bright orange and purple caps, everything was smothered in ten different shades of grey. Everything just seemed…dark. It was the perfect scenery…for a cemetery, perhaps. Or the Forsaken Barrows.

"This seems…different." Lire voiced the thought present in everyone's mind. "Was it always like this?"

"Well, no." Knight Master admitted. "I had it modified last night. Remember that he was possessed by Kaze'Aze, made to fight and kill people. No doubt that his combat skills are more than capable of handling the little things of Trial Forest."

Nods travelled through the room; she had a point. They concentrated on the images flickering on the screen.

Lass cautiously stepped from the portal. Everything was eerily silent. Was the test supposed to be like this? He looked around nervously, but his field of vision showed nothing. Nothing at all…

Then he saw it: Another portal, a considerable distance from where he was right now. Was that where he was supposed to go, to the next stage? He'd easily get there with a few jumps and turns. This was easy.

Too easy.

The sound of the silence was grating against his ears, unnerving him. He took a careful step forward.

_Click._

He caught movement from an upper corner of his vision, just above those rocks. A huge pincer smashed onto the spot where Lass had been a millisecond ago. They resembled something of a cross-breed between Dark Anmon Scouts and Orcs with mechanical gadgets sticking out in odd places. Grotesque as they were, they had some fast pincers. They were now coming, emerging from the shadows, the boulders, grinning crazily as they charged towards their target. Creepy. Just like the witch…each of them looked like her…

_No!_ He furiously thought to himself. _She's not gonna ruin my life anymore!_ He drew his weapons and charged.

"Whoa, he's good!"

"Wait…where did he go? He was just there a second ago!"

"Right there! Man, he is _fast_."

"His agility and combat skills are certainly impressive." _I'd expect nothing less from Kaze'Aze._ The Knight Master kept that second thought to herself. Kaze'Aze had trained the boy well, but she shuddered to think of what the Dark Witch made the child go through to attain such skill. Even she didn't want to think about it.

"Whoa, he's already cleared the first stage!"

Jolted from her reverie, Knight Master looked up just in time to see the child disappear into the second portal. She looked at the time: 00:10. Almost three times as fast as the original three Chasers. Amazing.

Lass shot off the portal as soon as the light dissipated. It was routine for him; jump, slash, dodge, feint, kill. Nothing he hadn't encountered before. He didn't even need to use his set of kunai. These monsters clearly had a small intelligence capacity, if they had any to begin with. Sigh. He was almost bored. If the rest of tests were going to go like this, it'd be a cinch.

So now that we know that Lass is more than capable to killing these monsters like mosquitoes, let's skip the battle sequence.

Lass stepped out of the portal nimbly; he hadn't even broken a sweat. He saw the Chase, their expressions ranging from admiring shock to impressed envy.

"Did I…do okay?" he looked up carefully.

"Dude, that was better than okay!" Ryan said. "That was _awesome!_"

"How did you move so fast? That was so cool!"

"You'll be a great addition to the Chase." Murmurs of agreement traversed through them.

The Knight Master stood, her features calm, yet pride glinted in her crimson eyes. He definitely had potential.

"Congratulations for passing the first test. Would you like to do the second one later today, or tomorrow?"

"Today." He quickly answered. Best to go through all of them at once than to drag it out.

"Then meet in this same place later in the afternoon." She commanded. "And make sure to be on time this time, shall we?"

"Y-yes, Master." He stammered, looking down. She nodded, and left, her cloak billowing behind her.

"Don't worry 'bout her, she's always the spoilsport." Ryan smiled good-naturedly. Lass noticed that every one of them were keep their distance, giving him space. He appreciated that. "So…what's your name?"

Lass sighed inwardly; as much as he hated his named, he knew he couldn't keep it from them any longer. "Lass." He mumbled.

Everyone craned their heads forward. "What? Raz?"

"Lass." He said a little louder. He looked up, braced for the teasing.

But they did not laugh. Well, almost all of them. Elesis, being Elesis, raised her eyebrows at the name, and coughed loudly. "But isn't that a girl's na–" Amy began, but was cut off by Jin, who gently elbowed her in the ribs.

Lass shrugged, "It's the name I was given."

"And it's a nice name." Ronan reassured. "Did you eat?"

"Yeah! I'm starving!" Elesis broke in.

At that moment, Lass's stomach decided to make that dying whale sound. Everyone looked towards him.

"Hahaha, I'm hungry, too. We didn't eat either."

"Let's eat! I need food!"

"Me too!"

"...You always need food."

"Shut it. You eat just as much as I do."

"At least I eat with dignity. You just stuff it down your–"

As the group talked and laughed as they began to walk, Lire turned to Lass, who was still standing there like a lost puppy. "I thought you were hungry. Come on!"

"Yeah! Come on, Lass!"

They were all smiling at him, telling him to come. They weren't cringing away in fear, or looking down at him in scorn.

"Okay." He paced towards them, suddenly feeling very light.

They went to a grand hall, where a long wooden table, ornately carved. Conveniently, there were also eight chairs. The table had already been prepared: a steaming bowl of thick soup, a baked loaf with a fluffy white texture, clumps of yellow and white things mixed with crisp bits of some sort of meat, and a lot more that Lass had never seen before. Seeing that the others were sitting down, he decided to sit as well. He scrutinized the food, staring at it suspiciously. He poked another with the tips of his daggers; it wiggled.

"Um, that's Jello."

Ronan was sitting across from him, trying not to smile.

"It's much better if you eat it with a spoon." Jin said, gesturing to the cutlery in front of him.

The rest of the Chase were also smiling, but it wasn't a mean smile. "It's not poisoned, Lass." Lire said gently. And for some reason, Lass believed her.

After taking a careful bite, Lass abandoned all suspicion. He never had so much good food before, not ever. He shovelled down his food like there was no tomorrow, oblivious to the surprised stares he got.

"Wow Lass, you eat just like Elesis!" Ronan exclaimed.

Elesis looked up, her mouth bulging with food as she glared at the Spell Knight.

"…Not that it's bad or anything, really." They all laughed.

* * *

"Aah~ I'm so full~" Amy stretched, smiling happily.

"Hey, Amy, can we go shopping? I need to buy some stuff…"

"Sure, Arme! Jin, you'll be coming too, right?"

"But…but, you guys are going to shop…"

"But we need someone to carry all our stuff!"

"Please, Jin~?"

Ronan sighed. "Jin's in for a long, long day."

"Hey, Elesis~ are you coming too?"

The Red Knight blanched at the thought of spending hours with the two hyperactive girls, doing basically nothing but going into store after store. "Er, no. I'm gonna go see how the Ruby Knights are doing." She walked away.

As Ronan stared after her, Ryan slapped him on the back. "Wanna spar? I got a new Jade Hook yesterday."

Ronan smiled at the challenge. "My blade does need a little exercise."

Ryan suddenly turned to Lass. "You coming? You can battle the winner."

"Or you could help me carry the bags." Jin said lightly, but the pleading in his eyes indicated that he wasn't joking.

Lass hesitated; it was great that they were accepting him as part of the team (despite that he wasn't officially yet) so readily, yet he still felt…alone. Different. They took everything so easily, laughing, smiling…did they even have the faintest idea of the crimes he made?

"I…just want to look around, first. Get used to the place. I'll catch up with you guys later."

They nodded in understanding. "Sure. Take your time." They dispersed, each going their own way.

Now the thief had almost unlimited time to himself. Unsure of what he should actually do now that he was alone, he was walking around the castle aimlessly, thinking. He was free. They all liked him, well, somewhat. It all seemed too good to be true. Way too good. There was no way that Kaze'Aze'd let him go so easily, her "favourite puppet." Was she still in hiding, waiting for the chance to retrieve her plaything?

_Lass._

He stiffened, quiet contemplation going to panicked fury in an instant.

_Lass. Come to me, Lass. What are you trying to prove?_

He looked around, but there was no one in sight. Then where…? Was he going mad? Yet he'd recognize that voice anywhere…

_You honestly think they trust you? With the things you did? You've become soft, child._

"No." She was there, leering at him. Why couldn't she leave him alone?

_A puppet should listen to its master. You've been disobedient. Very disobedient. I am coming, Lass, I am coming for you…_

"Go AWAY!" He lunged at her. Her and her damn laughing face.

_Crash!_

"What's gotten into you?"

Lass looked up. The Red Knight stood a few feet away from him with widened eyes.

"Didn't you see? She was right there! She–" Lass blinked; the witch was nowhere in sight. Instead there lay a vase…or what used to be a vase; fragments of china and water was strewn everywhere, and the poor flowers had been crushed by the broken pieces.

"You didn't have to smash the vase." She grumbled as she bent over to pick up a piece.

"Sorry." He mumbled, hastily helping to pick up the pieces.


	5. Fighting

"Oh! Hi Lass!" Yup, still that cheerful smile.

He tried to smile back. "Hi, uh…Arme?"

She beamed. "Yes! You know my name!" She started to walk beside him.

"Yeah, I guess. I thought you went shopping with…?"

"Amy and Jin? Yeah, well, they decided to go…on a date, of sorts. I decided not to bother them."

"That's nice."

"So, your second test is this afternoon! You nervous?"

"A little." He shrugged. They walked in silence.

"You're not hurt anywhere?"

"No, I'm fine."

"…You don't look fine."

"Really, I'm okay. No cuts, see?"

"No, Lass." Her voice was quiet now. "Your heart is the one that has cuts. It has cuts that even my magic can't heal."

The thief continued to walk, keeping a straight face. To deny it would be stupid, to admit it would be weak.

"You're still guilty about the people you killed." A statement, not a question.

"…"

"Like Knight Master said, it's not your fault. You didn't mean to, right?"

Inside, Lass felt like screaming at her. He quickened his pace, aggravated to hear her footsteps following behind.

"Lass, wait–"

"I need to be alone."

"Look, it's really not your fault! She made you do it all!"

"You don't understand!" He stopped and whirled around, his features twisted in ignited fury. "I saw my hands, okay? I saw them tainted with their blood! My daggers went through them! I _killed_ them! And you could be next!"

"But Lass…" Arme took another step near him, putting her hand on his shoulder. He furiously shook it off.

"Don't touch me." He felt a pang of regret as he saw an instant of pain flash across the mage's face. They were all trying to help him, but…but...he couldn't explain. Their lack of understanding was reasonable, seeing that they never massacred anyone, but it was frustrating.

Very, very frustrating indeed.

"I just…need some air." He muttered, turning away. This time, she did not follow him as he leapt out the window.

Arme let her hand fall back to her side and continued walking, feeling a little frustrated and hurt. She wanted to heal him, help him, but the boy was too caught up in his own guilt to listen.

Lass landed onto the ground with effortless grace. He wanted to go somewhere…but where? He didn't want to risk the towns; someone might recognize him. He wanted to go somewhere quiet. Where he could brood in peace, where no one would tell him that it wasn't his fault. He'd been hearing that a lot lately and it was grating on his nerves.

To the right he could see a cluster of trees, some distance away but not too far from the castle; a forest. Perfect.

Lass leapt easily from tree to tree, the sound of nature somewhat calming him. It was peaceful here, with no one to bother him. He settled on the crook of a stout tree and laid back. It all seemed so natural and in place: the birds chirping, the leaves rustling in the gentle wind...and best of all, he was alone. All alone.

_Snap._

Okay, so maybe he wasn't all that alone.

An Orc barged its way through a clump of bushes, brandishing its rudimentary stick of a weapon. The tree Lass was on was fairly tall, so hopefully it wouldn't notice him. Luckily, it stomped on by, roaring gibberish. Stupid monster.

But seeing the creature…what else was in the forest? Curiosity filling his mind, he delved deeper into the forest, the greenery thickening with every step.

The shrubs and foliage were becoming aggravatingly thick, clinging at his legs, and there were too little trees to jump from. Lass made sure Ryan wasn't around before he began to hack his way through, cutting all the plants to make a clear path. He was just about to give up and turn back when he saw a massive group of trees, draped thick with clumps of poison ivy and other plants, with thorny thickets surrounding them, like a wall. It was as if someone had purposefully arranged it that way; it was more than a coincidence for wild plants to grow in such a pattern. Probably someone had made it so to keep intruders out…of what? Lass wanted to know.

A couple of small trees stood a few feet away. Perfect.

Lass measured each angle carefully. Then, with all the strength he could muster, he used the bigger sapling as a springboard to launch himself into the air. Then he used his initial momentum to do a quick flip in the air, sailing safely above the ivy-ridden trees and into the enclosure.

What he didn't expect, however, was to be attacked the instant his feet landed on the ground. He barely dodged an arrow by a mere inch as a dozen more of the same projectiles whistled through the air, aiming for his vital parts. Years of training kept him alive as he darted out of the way, the constant stream of arrows hot in his pursuit.

The chasing game would have gone on forever, had Lass not made a little slip, which resulted in an arrow snagging his sleeve, ripping the cloth. He didn't mean to stop, but he did. Sensing that he had stopped jumping around all over the place, his opponent ceased as well. He could see his enemy more clearly now…

It was Lire.

Both were caught off-guard upon recognizing each other. A mixture of shock and guilt was seen upon the elf's face.

"Sorry." She said promptly. She snapped her fingers, and all the arrows disintegrated into a burst of white light, dissipating quickly as it came. "Are you hurt?"

"Not really." He shrugged, quickly covering up the torn sleeve. "What are you doing here?"

"It's my place. Whenever we return to Bermesiah, this is usually where I go." It was a small glade, of sorts. A fallen log served as a bench, and clusters of bushes and flowers were scattered over the place. Several trees also stood, the biggest one planted right in the middle. It was very pretty, like a personal paradise. There was even a small pool in the corner.

She smiled. "My private haven. It gives me peace, and keeps strangers out…but speaking of which, how did you get here?"

"…I just did." He scratched his head.

"I see." She raised her eyebrows. "This place is miles from Serdin Castle, in the most remote area of Elven Forest, surrounded by seven kinds of poisonous plants and thorn bushes, and you _just did_. Very impressive."

"Uhm …" Lass flustered.

She smiled. "I'm joking. It was rather impressive for you to enter without a scratch, though." She glided over to the log-bench and sat, patting the spot next to her. "Would you like to sit, or do you have someplace to go?"

"Not really." But he remained standing. "How did you find this…place?"

"I made it." She said simply. "It's something I can look forward to when I visit this place. It calms my mind; it looks almost like Eryuelle Island."

Lass scrunched his eyebrows.

"Eryuelle Island is my home, but it's been a while since I last saw it. This forest was Ryan's home. Still is, actually. He let me build this place, and he's the only one who knows about it…well, not anymore, it seems." She laughed softly. "Don't tell anyone?"

"Hm."

They rested in comfortable silence, Lire sitting, and Lass leaning against a tree (without ivy).

Lass broke it first. "Are you feeling better?"

"Huh?"

"Your leg."

"Oh. That." She showed her leg; it was completely healed. Nothing remained, except for a thin scar that was no bigger than her pinkie.

Lass was surprised. "How?"

"You forget that I'm not human; my body structure is quite different. But never mind me, are _you_ feeling better?"

Lass sighed; this again. "Why?"

"I can still sense darkness from you. You are angry, hurt, and believe that you can never right your wrongs."

"Am I that obvious?"

"Perhaps." A smile tugged at her lips.

"It's true, though. It's all my fault." he said, not wanting to hear the 'it's-not-your-fault' crap again.

"Is that so?" Lire turned a measuring look on the boy.

"It is." He answered stubbornly. She merely nodded, and said nothing more.

Her passive assent didn't satisfy Lass. "Look, the –"

"Look here, Lass." She stood up and walked towards the big tree in the middle. It was surrounded by bunches of small white flowers, with petals slightly tinted pink at the edges. The flower itself looked delicate, simple, but very sweet.

"Nice flowers." He mumbled.

Lire bent over and picked one. "The humans here call it _Aithrelia_, which means 'immortal blossom'. It's easy to grow, but it's not common around here…"

"Oh." Lass didn't know what else to say.

"Where I come from, we do not name the flowers and the other plants. Their spirits have a name of their own, each singular and unique. But the interesting thing is, the word _Aithrelia_ sounds almost like _Ethreya_, a word in my language that means–"

ROOAAARRR!

Nearby birds flapped out of the trees, startled.

"What was that?" The thief reached tentatively for his kunai.

Lire didn't look up from her flower. "A Forest Troll. Hopefully it'll pass by; it's not one of the more intelligent species."

"I see…" The thief wasn't reassured. It sounded close nearby.

_ROOAAARRR!_

Great, it was coming nearer. The very ground underneath them seemed to be shaking now.

The elf tore her gaze from the blossom. "Strange. Trolls shouldn't be coming this way unless there's no food in the other parts or…" She paled. "You didn't make a clear path right to this place, did you?"

"Uh…" Lass mentally smacked himself. He remembered hacking the plants apart, making a very obvious trail. How could he have been so careless, so stupid?

Idiot.

She sighed, and then gave a small laugh. "It's all right, I'll take care of it." She readied her grip on her bow. "You should go."

"Why?" he grumped. "Is it because I'll get in your way?"

"…You might be late for the second test."

"Oh." Lass wanted to slap himself; why couldn't he just act normally?

"You can stay, if you want. But it won't be pretty."

He took out his daggers. "Try me."

She chuckled. "As you wish." She closed her eyes and murmured, "_Anahar carruba tiennalya_." Immediately the poison-ivy covered trees parted. Their roots remained in their places, but their trunks twisted and curled to create a medium-sized opening. So that was how she went in and out.

"Let's fight in a more open area." Lire explained, answering his silent question. Both of them got into their fighting stances and headed for the exit.

BAM. The Troll barged into Lire's garden, looking for its prey. The pair hastily scattered, Lire notching an arrow, Lass drawing out his daggers.

Its moves were predictable as well as stupid; it destroyed everything in its sight, roaring in pain as its burly hands swiped at one of the thorn bushes. Lass sighed; it had a definite advantage in size and brute force, if not brains. This was going to take a while.

"_Fire Arrow!_" Lire shot a flaming arrow straight for the miniature tree growing on the Troll's back. The Troll howled in agony, flailing its arms in an attempt to put out the flames.

"Invisible State." The silver-haired thief vanished, and took out one of his kunai. Daggers were as effective as Lire's arrows (which didn't do much, frankly), and Lass knew that. A bigger weapon such as Elesis's sword or Ryan's Axe would be more helpful, but both he and Lire were built for speed, not heavy attacks. Neither was made to carry heavy weapons, therefore having lower attack and defence. But maybe a kunai could…

Splash. The Troll had fallen into the pool, which effectively doused the flames on its back. The monster got up, dripping wet and eyes looking murderous. It probably saw Lire as a pesky flea, hopping about with those annoying arrows. Its fists swung for the archer, who easily dodged it.

"_Big Shot!_" Five arrows buried themselves in the brute's flesh. The Troll was ticked, but it affected little more than bee stings. It only made it even more pissed.

Purple was shockwave, orange was probably fire, the blue ice or water…but what would he use? Purple was out of the question; the Troll was dangerously near Lire, who was still jumping from tree to tree, firing her arrows. Orange and blue could work…wait, what was this multicoloured one?

"Get away from it!" The elf looked up, startled, not seeing where the voice came from. But she complied, bounding away with a series of leaps and flips. The Troll roared in delight; it thought that she fled in fear.

Lass usually wasn't one to take chances in battle, but hopefully the Knight Master made these kunai safe to his comrades as well as deadly to his enemies. Praying that it would work, he launched the rainbow kunai at the Troll's heinie.

_Thunk._ For a scary second, nothing happened. The Troll continued its rampage, and Lire raised her eyebrow. Did it fail? Or did Knight Master just troll Lass?

_Pop! Pop! Pop!_

Afterwards, Lass was sorry he ever doubted the Knight Master; she wasn't the type to joke or kid, really. It was immensely satisfying to see the Troll tramping around, clutching its behind as bursts of multicoloured lights shot out from it. However, Lire was less-than-thrilled when it grabbed and uprooted the biggest tree (the one that happened to be in the middle, the one surrounded by the flowers) and started using as a club, smashing it everywhere as snaps of bright lights continued to flash out of its butt.

"Disarm it! It's gonna destroy everything!"

"_Flame Arrow!_" Five arrows sliced through the air, detonating upon impact. The monster screamed, attempted to swat them with its tree-club, tottered, and fell. Lire hopped down from a tree that the Troll didn't destroy, and went nearer. "Is it dead…?"

She ran into an invisible wall, and backed off, confused. "No." The thief materialized in front of her. "Look." The Troll was getting up, sore and banged up but still very much alive. Its butt was still spewing out tiny crackled bits of light. But now it was interested in nothing except getting out of here. The 'boss' of the forest ran as fast its stubby hind legs would take him, it's pained roar fading into the distance.

"Ah!" Lass whipped around, wary. But Lire hadn't cried in fear.

The place was a mess. Trees had been snapped from their roots, bushes were trampled to the ground, and basically everything was mangled and crushed. What Lire had worked so hard into making was now reduced to nothing. She gasped as she saw the _Aithrelia,_ or what was left of it. The Troll had smashed the tree directly on top of them, and now they were crumpled and broken.

"The flowers." She mumbled. Lire looked crushed. "Everything else can be reconstructed, but the flowers…"

"I'm sorry." He hung his head. Now he'd really done it. Kaze'Aze was right; he did nothing but cause destruction.

"No." Lire stood up, a fire gleaming in her eyes. "This is not your fault."

"But I…"

"It's the _tree's_ fault!"

"…Wait, what?" He didn't expect that.

"If the tree didn't land on the flowers, it wouldn't have been crushed! But the tree crushed them all! Damn tree!" She loaded an arrow and aimed at the tree. "Sharp shot! Flame Arrow! Freezing Arrow! Meteor Shot! Rapid Fire!"

Lass stood there, staring as if dumb. He thought the elven archer to be the most kind-hearted and sensible out of all the Chasers. She always kept a smile on her face, and sort of looked after everyone. And now he was witnessing one of the most horrific crimes of tree brutality that would've given Ryan a heart attack. Even he felt a little sorry for the tree.

Quite a while passed, and Lire still showed no signs of stopping. Lass said carefully, "Should we go now?"

"No!" she panted. "Gotta – kill – the – tree!"

"The tree's already dead. And demolishing it won't do anything."

Lire took no notice of his words. By now the tree resembled a giant porcupine.

This was becoming downright ridiculous; Did Lire always act this unreasonable? Lass walked over and grabbed her bow hand. "Hey, come on."

"Let go!" Lire struggled to break free, whacking at him with her bow.

"What do you think you're doing?" He seized the bow and threw it aside. It clattered with a dull thud. "Do you really think destroying the tree is going to bring those flowers back to life? You're even crushing the other flowers and plants nearby! This is pointless!" He jabbed a finger towards the forest. "The Troll was the one that smashed the tree onto the flowers. The tree did nothing. Hunt it and kill the Troll, if anything."

Lire stopped thrashing and went utterly still. Lass was beginning to wonder if he had been too harsh with her; after all, they were _her_ flowers. But when she looked up, there was neither anger nor sadness in her face. She looked…fine.

"The Troll was the one that used the tree as the weapon. The tree did nothing. And me killing the tree is just going to damage everything else." She repeated.

He breathed an inward sigh of relief. "Right. You get it?"

"I'm not sure you do." She said calmly as she looked into Lass's eyes. "If you can understand that so easily, why can't you understand yourself?"

"What?" Then it clicked. _Oh._

"Think about it, Lass." She turned to go. Before she left, she turned and said. "You fight really well. I've never seen a weapon that could create fireworks." She gave him a gentle look before disappearing through the broken trees.

* * *

I never knew my writing would attract so much attention. :O My sincere thanks to all who've reviewed so far, your comments and tips keep me writing xD

Special thanks to StarBrigate! So are you...um...three personalities in one? Star, Brigate, Nite into one person? That's cool xD Anyways, if you do make reviews for every chapter, I'd be very thankful :D

Go Lire and Lass! YEAAHHHH! ^_^


	6. Thinking

"Damn vase…why Amy buys those things, I'll never know."

Elesis muttered darkly as she walked down a corridor, cradling her hand. Lass had dashed off as soon as he helped pick up all the pieces, and like the inept idiot she was, she had to cut herself with one of the pieces. Preoccupied with her thoughts about facing Kaze'Aze and concerns about the thief, she had accidentally stabbed her hand into a large vase fragment, and received a bloody gash, right across her right palm. Brilliant.

Not having anything else to staunch the bleeding, she ripped a piece of her sleeve off and made a makeshift bandage around it after she disposed the last of the pieces in the trash. The infirmary was on the other side of the castle, and Elesis didn't feel like walking all that distance just to get a proper bandage. Maybe she'd get Arme to heal it. Ignoring the dull throbbing of the pain, the redheaded Knight's thoughts shifted to the present situation at hand: Kaze'Aze.

She was still on the loose, and here they were, relaxing in a castle. They couldn't afford more than a few days till they went out again and crush the witch for good. And as for Lass…well, he was physically capable, she'd give him that. But the way he looked when he attacked the vase, was his mind just as able? It was…debatable.

"Hey, Elesis!"

She looked up. From the courtyard, Ronan and Ryan was waving her over, grinning. She nodded in acknowledgment and walked over to them, quickly stuffing her injured hand into her pocket. From the looks of it, they'd just finished a pretty intense duel. "You guys battled?" Her hand itched for her own sword before remembering that it was inadequate for the time being. "Who won?"

"Me." Ronan smiled, but did not rub it in; he was not one to gloat. Ryan just shrugged good-naturedly as he mopped up his sweat with a piece of white cloth. "You want to join?"

"I…maybe later."

Their eyes widened. "No way. Elesis, _Elesis_ doesn't want to battle? That's new."

She grunted, sitting on a nearby bench, propping her blade against the ledge. The boys looked at each other, then shrugged, clueless. "Well, I'm going back in. Later." Ryan swung his Jade Hook onto his shoulder as he trotted back into the castle.

"Is everything okay? You look a little pale." Ronan leaned over towards the Red Knight with a concerned expression.

"No." She scooted backwards, a reflexive reaction. Being so close to the Spell Knight made her slightly nervous, though why it did was beyond her comprehension.

"Huh…your face is red. Maybe you're sick." His face now looked thoughtful.

By now her hand was becoming extremely painful. She fidgeted a little bit, all the while keeping her hand stuffed in her pocket. "Hey, have you seen Arme?"

"No, why?" The Spell Knight's eyes trailed over to her arm, which looked stiff as plywood, and his eyebrows furrowed. "May I ask why you keep your right hand in your coat pouch in such an awkward position?"

"You already did." She muttered sulkily, yet she kept her hand where it was.

"is something wrong with it?"

"No."

"Can I see?"

"No."

"Why not– are you bleeding?" he asked, horrified.

"Uh…no." Damn him to the pits, how did he know that?

"Then I suppose your pocket suddenly decided that it needed an immediate colour change to a deep blood-red" He crossed his arms with a very sceptical look.

"Ha ha. Very funny." She looked, and there indeed was a scarlet stain flowering through the fabric. She jerked her hand out of its cover, revealing a very bloody palm draped with a crude representation of a bandage that looked no better. "Ugh."

"Well said." Sighing, he went over to the medical box that hung in the opposite wall, detaching it without difficulty. "So what did you get into this time?"

"Hmph."

"I see." He came back with the container and peered at the contents.

"Broke a vase."

"Ah." He knelt in front of Elesis, reached out and grasped her hand and gently tore off the crude wrapping clinging to her wound.

"How'd it happen?" He began to clean the wound with a wet cloth. She gritted her teeth, enduring the sting in silence.

"Don't ask." Elesis mumbled. Irritated as she was, she couldn't quite forget the expression on the thief's face as he attacked the vase; it was one of sheer terror and unbridled rage. Only one could make his face contort in such a way…

"Hm." He did not prod further as he took out a healing salve out of the box and began applying it to the gash. "It's not too deep, but it'll hold you back for a while. Arme can heal it later, but let's staunch the bleeding first." He smiled as he started to bind up the injury (with proper bandages this time), keeping his touch gentle.

"Uhm…right. Thanks." Now that the initial pain subsided, she took in her surroundings: She was sitting, and Ronan was kneeling. Right in front of her, and holding her hand as he wrapped it with bandages. Why was it becoming really warm all of a sudden?

"Okay, that's done. Now we should…are you blushing?"

"No! I'm just…hot." She looked down.

"I see." He placed a hand over his own mouth, but his eyes betrayed the smile he hid. "Shall we go inside then?"

"Right–" At that moment, Arme also entered the courtyard, looking gloomy. However, that look quickly morphed into surprise. "Hey guys. What are you doing– Oh." Elesis didn't like the devilish grin that starting to form on her friend's face. "Really, Ronan? That's so romantic! But don't you think it's a bit early? I mean, you're still nineteen…"

"Huh?"

"Hee hee hee~" Giggling, she ran back into the building with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"No! You shut up!" Finally understanding where she was getting at, Elesis tore off after the mage like a bullet as she blushed furiously, leaving a very flustered Spell Knight in the courtyard.

Lire trekked silently through the forest. She would have to tell Ryan about her destroyed garden, but he always seemed to take everything good-naturedly, so hopefully he would take this just as easily. She still felt guilty about trashing the forest, she'd think of some way to repay him.

She probably should've stayed, to see if there was anything left to salvage, but Lass did look like he needed some time alone. In fact, so did she. Her garden was the closest thing to her home, yet that idiot Troll had to come and trash it up. And now there was nothing. She sighed. She'd fix it, of course…but plants and flowers didn't grow overnight. And the _Aithrelia_ were gone. All gone.

But like the issue with Kaze'Aze, it was not Lass's fault. In a way, she was glad that the Troll had come. It showed Lass what he needed to know.

Lire walked on. It was still quite some distance from here to Serdin Castle, and why rush? The sun was still high in the sky, the surrounding trees filtering its bright light. A bird chirped its melody nearby. It was all peaceful; the monsters that inhabited the forest had more than their share of battling the Grand Chase, and most had learned their lesson: Don't mess with the Chase, or you die.

So she walked in peace, inattentively catching a flower petal that was fluttering in the air. Startled, she looked up.

A giant cherry tree stood in front of her, its soft pink petals twirling down elegantly. A slight breeze made them swirl in the air, brushing against her face. It felt so gentle, so nice. It didn't bother her that trees usually didn't bloom at this time; the woodland spirits had their ways. Perhaps they were trying to console her?

If only everything could be peaceful as this, she thought. The grass rustled up against her ankles. Unconsciously she went near the tree, running a hand over the callused bark. It reminded her of home. Home. The thought left her heart wistful. She loved the members of Grand Chase like brothers and sisters, but she didn't want a lifetime of fighting monsters. She wanted peace. To go home, enjoy the clear sky and the fresh nature.

She sat among the fallen petals and leaned her back against the trunk. She was alone now. Unable to decipher her current feelings of sadness and frustration into coherent thoughts, she just stared blankly at the sky, the dancing petals. How pretty…they seemed to be dancing just for her.

The cherry tree continued to perform its beautiful petal-blossom dance, lulling the troubled elf to sleep.

Lass stood among the ruined glade as if turned to stone. After a few minutes, he sat on (what used to be) the log bench, unsure of what he should do next. Smoke still sizzled from some spots in the area, but he scarcely took notice. What Lire said wasn't wrong; in fact, it was the full truth. He had found Lire punishing the tree absurd, was he doing the same thing?

_That harlot is deceiving you, fool._ Her manipulative voice had come back, worming into his mind. _How can you believe her so readily?_

Lass flinched. He clamped his hands over his ears, though that would have no effect.

_Surely you don't think they _trust_ you. How could they, a despicable villain like you?_ Her voice dripped with fake sugared tones. _Is my Lass looking for love? Pitiful…_

"Go away…" He wanted to block the flow of memories, everything. Yet the voice continued to demean him.

_Go away? _She laughed condescendingly, as if humouring a child. _I cannot do that. I'll always be alive in your mind, silly boy. I'll never let you forget what you did to those poor people. They way you slaughtered them…_

"Stop it! It was _you!_"

_Me? _Me_? You never cease to amuse me, Lass. Do you think you can ignore the blood you have on your hands by blaming _me_?_

"No…" Lass tried to focus on something else. What? What did he say to Lire?

_You cannot run from me. Who would accept you?_

_**"The Troll was the one that smashed the tree onto the flowers. The tree did nothing. Hunt it and kill the Troll, if anything."**_

_**"If you can understand that so easily, why can't you understand yourself? ...Think about it, Lass."**_

Think…_think_…_**THINK!**_

Lass got up, muscles taut, but he did not draw his weapons.

"I'm the tree." He muttered. "You made me smash the flowers."

_Do you think spouting nonsense will save you…?_

"Shut up! I'm the tree. _I'm the tree!_"

_Poor wretched youngling, you are…don't worry, it will come to pass._ With that, she faded from his mind, leaving him battered, but for the first time, not broken. Still a bit shaken, he was about to sit back down when he noticed something white out of the corner of his eye, and he picked it up. It was the flower (Lass couldn't remember the name) that Lire had picked, just before the Troll interrupted their conversation. He remembered her face, pale with sorrow and dejection at the sight of the broken flowers. He held the delicate blossom, examining it. After a while, he pocketed it carefully and started flying through the forest.

* * *

Pardonne-moi for le fluff, just one more chapter of the cheesiness and it shall be action-time! :D I am getting the dreaded Writer's Block...oh no...


	7. Meeting

She was pretty easy to find, sleeping right in the open! Didn't she know better than to do such a thing, exposing herself to all the potential threats? Then again, destroying the tree must've taken a lot out of her. He swung himself onto a tree some metres away from her. She looked pretty, with the flower petals about her…the pink flowers…sleepy…

Lass suddenly jolted back to his senses. Didn't flowers and petals usually fly with the wind instead of twirling in eccentric circles? And they also didn't come together into clusters or glow a strange pinkish light or…never mind. Whatever it was, it probably wasn't good. And it was nearing the elf. Thinking quickly, the thief carefully aimed two of his own kunai (non-special ones) at the mass of blossoms.

As the projectiles tore through the air, Lire's ears twitched, and her eyes snapped open a second later. Seeing the two kunai, she instinctively threw herself to the right, rolling away from the tree, although they were not aimed for her. Wide awake, she grabbed her bow and looked about. A bunch of cherry blossom petals were swirling about beside the spot she had been a moment ago. It was shining and…changing; solidifying. Wonder replacing confusion, she stepped towards it.

Lass jumped down from the tree, daggers at the ready. "It could be dangerous." Evidently, the kunai had no effect on the shining ball of petals.

"No…look." Whatever it was, Lire sensed that whatever it was, it had no malevolent presence. It was slowly taking on a humanoid form amid the mass of flowers, materializing into what looked like a little girl.

The blinding light faded, revealing just that: a small girl-like creature, slightly over a foot tall, floating in the air amidst pink Sakura petals. She was dressed in an elegant Asian-themed dress with very long sleeves. Her hair was pink, though the colour wasn't as vibrant as Amy's, and her eyes were a soft red. She'd have looked even prettier if she (or it) wasn't glaring daggers at Lass, who scowled back suspiciously.

"The spirit of the tree." Lire's eyes lit up; she loved anything related to spirits and fairies. "Hello." She said, cautiously stepping closer.

It tilted her head towards Lire, confused. Evidently it did not speak English.

"It can talk?" Lass asked, slightly intrigued. The spirit snapped back towards Lass, glowering at him.

"Not in the way of humans, I think. The more older and powerful ones could." She turned back to it and spoke, "_Ietrand i_ë_ sathe forthinya reio? Yithil _Lire_ ego._" (_You are the fairy spirit of this tree, yes? I am Lire.)_

The tree-spirit turned, crimson eyes meeting green, and then bowed. "_Geureh. __Æ __ego perya rauko esth hindedan i_ë_ no?_" (_Indeed. And I assume that idiot boy who tried to kill me is also with you?_)

Finding that she was able to communicate with her with Elven language, she continued. "Haha, _Terevamida afi_…" (_Haha, about that…_)

Realizing that there was no danger, Lass sheathed his weapons and stepped back. To him, their conversation was nothing more than "sdfkghj", so he propped himself against a tree and waited. And waited. They weren't going to finish anytime soon, he thought. So he was surprised when Lire beckoned him to come after a few minutes, with the spirit eyeing him grudgingly but making no move to dissent. He came, wondering what this was all about.

"This is Saku, the fairy of this cherry tree. Say hello."

"It has a name?"

"Yes, _she_ has a name. She says it's what the humans of this country named her flowers a long time ago. They called it _Sakura_, I think."

"Ah. Uh...hi." To Lire, "It doesn't like me."

She suppressed a smile. "I suppose anyone would if you tried to stab them."

"Er…"

"I told her that you didn't mean to harm her. Thanks for watching out for me, though."

"Right." He suddenly felt an interest to study the ground, feeling a bit embarrassed. Then he remembered, "Ah, Lire, I found this…" He reached into his pocket and took out the last _Aithrelia_. "Here…" He awkwardly held it out.

Her green eyes widened in shocked delight as she looked at the slightly rumpled flower as if it were a priceless treasure. "The_ Aithrelia_…I thought they were all burned…how did you find it?"

"I just did."

"Of course." That was starting to become his catchphrase. Her hand reached out for it hesitantly at first, but then steadily closed over Lass's. "Thank you." She smiled, but it was a smile of genuine happiness. Lass nodded and simply looked at his hand, which Lire still held, feeling strange yet pleased. Realizing that she was holding his hand for almost too long, Lire quickly retracted her hand. "Thank you." She repeated, still beaming.

_Whap!_

Naturally, Saku didn't appreciate being ignored and having to watch this scene unfold before her eyes. Irritated, she had smacked the elf with her sleeve, demanding her attention. Lire complied and turned back to her. Again they talked for a while, and this time the thing was pointing at the flower, which looked somewhat droopy now, and Lire was nodding back, looking a bit morose. Lass frowned a bit; what were they talking about?

Apparently they had drawn to a conclusion, as the thing (Yes, Lass decided to call it the thing) gave an exasperated huff, and took the withered blossom into her hands– er, sleeves– and breathed onto it. _Fwah…_With a puff, five Sakura petals began to swirl around it, glowing a soft pink light, renewing the plant. It spun, twirled…and the flower was fixed, shimmering with life and health. But it wasn't an _Aithrelia_ anymore; fused with the petals from Saku's tree, it was now a five-petal flower that had the pearly white colour of an Aithrelia tinged pink at the edges, and the shape was like a Sakura blossom, except that it was slightly pointed out at the edge of the petals. Even the thief had to admit it was pretty.

Lire held her hands out for the flower, but the fairy let it drift to the archer's head, where it fastened itself onto the side of her hair, where it fluttered in the breeze , yet stayed in place.

Finished with the job, Saku looked up, evidently pleased with her success.

"Thank you, too." Lire smiled again. Her hand reached up to her head and touched the flower.

"_Anda a dereu timeh siltha,_ Lire Eryuell." (_We will meet again, Lire Eryuell._) The female humanoid smiled, glared at Lass once more, and withdrew into her tree, leaving a lingering scent of Sakura blossoms in the air. Lire sighed happily.

"It still doesn't like me, huh."

"Hm. It's because she…spirits are like that. Don't let it get to you." She chuckled lightly, sitting back down by the cherry tree. "Do you want to sit?"

This time, Lass did.

"I'm sorry about your garden."

"Don't be, it can always be made again. The important thing is, did you understand?"

"I– yeah, I think– yeah."

She turned to face him and looked him in the eye. "Next time you feel you are at fault, remember that condemning yourself is just as senseless as me destroying the tree. _It was never your fault_."

Hours ago, Lass had absolutely loathed that last phrase, believing that it was a phrase used by the ignorant. Now he was starting to believe it. Just a tiny little bit.

"Right."

Lire nodded and turned back, her head leaning against the trunk. "The _Aithrelia_," she continued. "is called the 'immortal flower' because it can grow through the toughest of conditions and can bloom for a long, long time. But it's very rare to see it first-hand, much less find one." She paused for a while. "It sounds similar to _Ethreya_, which means 'hope' in the Elven language. I don't know if that's a coincidence or not." She laughed.

Lass turned to her curiously. "What do you mean?"

She sighed, looking wistful. "Hope is there when nothing else remains. It's something that every creature has, something that keeps them moving, giving them the power to keep going. If one doesn't have hope, they have nothing." She studied her bow. "With hope, we believe and fight. Through misery and darkness, hope springs eternal. But that genuine hope is rare as it is invaluable…" she trailed off.

He kept silent, not knowing what to say. With Kaze'Aze, all he had felt was rage, misery, and horror. Actually, he had preferred not to feel anything at all, because it hurt less. This 'hope', was that what he had felt when he was with the Grand Chase? With her?

Hope. What an interesting word.

"Sorry, got lost in thought." She grinned sheepishly as she got up. "We should go now, or Knight Master's going to be upset again." She started to walk, when she turned. "Don't forget these." She lightly tossed a couple of lightweight objects which the thief caught with ease; it was the two kunai that he threw towards the thing.

"Lire! Where have you been?" Amy asked.

"Many places." She replied, eyes twinkling, her lips forming easily forming a smile. "I see you have had a wonderful time with Jin?"

The gang was in the Duelling Arena, a large outdoor field where the KM had told them to meet for Lass's Second Test. They still had a couple of minutes, but the KM was adamant when it came to time and punctuality, a fact most had learned the hard way/

"Ahaha~" she blushed. "Well, a better time than them." She nodded her head towards Arme, who had a huge bump on her head as she kept a wide distance from Elesis, who looked like the Tasmanian Devil as Ronan restrained her with words as he kept a hand on her shoulder.

"What happened with them?"

"No idea, something about a proposal…" she clamped her mouth, but Elesis heard, giving the Dancer the Death Glare. Everyone except Ronan was tactfully keeping their distance, as they had more than enough experience of the Red Knight's rages, which would be comical if it weren't so scary.

"I'll see to it later." Lire then turned to Ryan, who was dozing off. "Ryan!"

"Huh? What?" Ryan wakened with a yawn.

"There's something I have to talk about…" she said nervously.

"Oh? What's this?" Amy butted in, suspicious.

Lire shushed Amy, then turned to Ryan with a serious look. "Maybe later."

"Huh. OK."

"Well, you are quite punctual this time, Lass." The Knight Master entered the field, on time as always.

"Er…yes."

Everyone was now standing in the battlefield, waiting, anticipating. It didn't escape Lass that everyone had their weapons out.

"You passed the First Test without any difficulty, which has been duly noted. The Second Test is to measure your fighting ability in a more complex scale, since brainless monsters aren't the only threat you'll have to face." She looked around, looking for any objections, and found none.

Lass automatically stiffened; she didn't mean…

"So now, you will fight three of the current Chasers here." She waved a hand towards the group. "You need to defeat at least two of them to pass. Understood?"

He understood. But what if he injured them…killed them…?

"Both you and the opponent will wear these." She took out several black sets of leather armour that had wide but thin coloured jewel-like stones embedded on the head, the chest, the underarms, the stomach, the groin; symbols representing the vital areas. [Just picture the Saint Black Uniform minus the cape please. And the left arm spiky thing.] She held one out to Lass, which he accepted. It had light blue stone-things on it.

"The stones represent the vital points. If you break three of them on your opponent, you win. Get three of yours broken, and you lose."

Lass nodded, that was much better.

The armour was not uncomfortable as Lass thought it would be. Sure the stones were slightly unnerving and it covered his entire body, but they didn't hinder his movement, and he could whip out his daggers and kunai with ease. With luck, he'd pass this test, too.

He stepped onto the combat zone.

"All right." The Knight Master said. "Who wants to go first?"

* * *

Well, now you know why Lire has that flower in her hair (Arch Ranger Picture) :D

Someone please help me...I don't know who Lass should battle ;_;


	8. Duelling 1

"Me! Me! Me!" A hand waved frantically in the air, and whose would it be but Elesis's. Forgetting that she was supposed to be mad at Arme, or that she had a busted hand, her crimson eyes already crackled with the anticipation of an all-out, free-for-all duel with the kid that had bumped into her twice. Already her right hand was twitchy over her sword.

"Very well, Elesis shall be your first opponent." Knight Master declared, than added in an undertone, "As always." Then, "Elesis, please step onto the combat zone."

"Elesis, you should at least get that hand of yours treated." Ronan whispered to her worriedly.

"I'm fine, don't worry." She shot back impatiently, slipping into her amour. In no time at all she was dressed and ready for combat.

"Just…be careful." He warned.

"Right." She quickly averted his anxious gaze and made her way towards the zone, gripping her weapon tightly.

Almost as soon as she stepped onto the field she was met with a dagger swiping towards her face, which she instinctively blocked with her sword. Lass easily jumped several feet back as she attempted to kick his shins, gripping his daggers tighter. It had begun.

Readjusting her grip on her sword, Elesis charged towards Lass as she swung back her sword for momentum. Lass waited until the last moment, than swerved to the right as she swung left, missing him by barely an inch, which gave him a clear shot at the target. Confused, she'd barely turned her head when a well-aimed kunai struck the jewel that covered her right side.

_Crack._ The stone shattered, but instead of exploding everywhere, the tiny fragments hovered in the air for a split-second, and then flew towards the other Chasers. They all remained calm as Arme used her magic staff to redirect the pieces towards the Knight Master, who examined it thoroughly.

"A clean shot, aimed directly at the middle on the right torso." She nodded to the mage, who waved her staff, in which the gem began to repair itself. "A most skilled fighter indeed."

[Bothe the armour and the stones that embedded it have magical properties, used purely for duels and such. The leather itself is nearly indestructible, but the jewels are the most significant: If broken, the pieces can be used to identify where it was on the armour, how it had been broken, and the perpetrator(s). Which would be pretty useful, since fights tend to be really quick and not everyone can the whole picture of what's going on. Neat, eh?]

Seeing that the jewel pieces were in control, Lass quickly turned back to his opponent. Elesis's eyes were burning, humiliated that she had been taken by surprise so easily. Because her greater strength and blade, it'd be hard to get in close again. Her defence was already strong. Once again, she charged towards Lass, brandishing her weapon. Lass tensed his muscles to dodge again.

However, what happened next caught him completely by surprise. "Sword Fire!" Instead of another physical assault, a pinkish wave shaped like a crescent had emanated from the blade, with a fiery inferno outlining the edge. Startled, he darted away a second too late, and the attack collided into his upper left arm. _Crack._ Lass cringed,

"Ooh…that's gotta sting." Ryan mumbled sympathetically.

"Just 'cause the armour's hard doesn't mean you can't feel pain." Grinning, she launched for another strike. But this time, he was ready. He received the sword evenly with his twin blades, ignoring the clang the reverberated throughout the battlefield.

Racking his brains for an idea, Lass suddenly leapt away from Elesis's reach and began hurling his kunai. It'd have no real effect on her, but perhaps it'd be enough to cause a distraction…

"What's he doing?" Amy said to Lire.

"Probably trying to create a diversion." The elf guessed correctly. "I'm not sure, but if it's the same as my arrows, Elesis will–"

"GRAAAAAAAHH!"

"–enter Berserk Mode." Lire shuddered as she remembered her own experience of the Berserk Mode, where she was tossed like a pancake and slammed onto the ground after she shot one too many arrows towards the Knight in their duel. Ouch.

Lass lay on the ground, half-stunned. What just happened? He felt slightly dizzy...he turned his head a little, and Elesis was standing above him, preparing for another blow. "Mega Slash–"

_No!_ His head felt as if it had been clonked by a hammer. He couldn't just go down like this. Not like this. He scrambled to his feet, ignoring the ringing in his ears as he fought back, halting her mid-slash. He was not going to lose.

_Overconfident boy, is that so?_

Damn! The voice was back again. But it wasn't just her voice. He could now feel her presence; she was here…why now, of all times? He faltered, taking a few steps back. He couldn't fight two battles at once.

"You feeling scared yet?" taunting, Elesis lunged in for another jab, which the thief barely dodged.

_They pity you._ She whispered in his ear. _They seek to make a mockery out of you, the murderous child…_

"No!" He swung his blades blindly, losing a bit of his reason with each swing. "I _won't_ lose…"

"Don't be so sure about that." She laughed.

_The Red Knight speaks truth. A lowly being like you cannot hope to win, no._

Lass tried to tune the voice out of his head. If there was one thing he couldn't allow, it was the Chase knowing about his predicament; that would put him back to Square One. No, none of them will know, he would never allow it. He wouldn't…

_But they _will _know. In the end, they will. And then who else wouldn't want you? Come to me, boy, come, come._

"Ugh!" Elesis had capitalized on his inattentiveness, slashing at his right flank. _Crack._ Countless sapphire-like fragments glided towards Arme's waiting hands. He'd been careless, and Elesis realized it (thick-headed as she was.)

"Losing your step?" She dove for another jab, this time evenly parried by Lass.

_You do nothing here. You _are_ nothing here. Come now, and I will forgive you. My plans for you are still prepared. Are you a fool?_

"No, but you are." He quickly hurled a foot towards her legs, making direct contact. She stumbled, surprised at his sudden strength. Steadying herself with her sword, she looked up in time to see Lass hurling a kunai for her chest, which she barely blocked with her sword. Lass was fully on the offense now, slicing at her with a startling ferocity, moving and jabbing at a speed that was beyond Elesis.

He feinted to the right and pierced for the flank. _Crack._

As Elesis turned to swing, he caught her blade on a crossblock, ignoring the sharp pain that coursed through his arms. He riposted instantly, but he couldn't afford to clash too much with her sword; superior in size and strength, it'd shatter his arms if not his blades.

Lass deliberately thrust a kunai for her legs, which she again thrust her blade down to block, the kunai falling aside harmlessly. Taking advantage of that moment, Lass unleashed an attack directly for the stone on her undefended chest. "Impact Slash!"

_Crack._

She stood still for a moment, then fell, slumped on the ground. She looked up, the world was spinning around her, there were three silver-haired idiots now, hazing in her vision…his eyes? Wait, why was the world becoming so dark all of a sudden? The sun shouldn't have set yet…

"Elesis."

"Elesis! Get up!"

"Maybe she's dead."

"Not funny, stupid."

"She's out like a light bulb. You think maybe…?"

"No. She should be waking up soon. The potion was a relatively strong one."

"Hm, maybe now I can finally get a chance at the Dessert Table…"

"…Not gonna happen, Amy…" Her eyes remained closed, but she stirred, her lips curving to form a half-grin. "Ever…"

"Hmph."

Feeling the effects of the potion kicking in, she wrenched her eyelids open, blinking a few times to adapt to the sudden light. She still felt a tad sore and grimaced. The other Chasers were ringed around her with concerned eyes.

"Are you all right?" Ronan asked, evident relief showing on his face.

"I've been through worse." Grumbling, she sat up. Her hair was a dishevelled mess, and her chest was throbbing real unpleasantly. "So…I guess I lost?" Their silence spoke louder than an answer. "Right."

"It was an even match though." Jin reassured.

"Tch..." She got up and brushed herself off. "Where is he?"

"Over there." Lass was indeed 'over there', sitting on the floor with Arme hovering about, checking for wounds and healing them. "Kid's got it bad as well."

"Figured as much." Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Lire and Ryan were at another corner, whispering earnestly to another about something Elesis couldn't decipher. Huh. Elves.

"What're they talking about?"

"Beats me."

"Huh." Taking a deep breath, she yelled as she pointed towards the thief, "DON'T THINK YOU'VE BEATEN ME YET! I'LL BEAT YOU NEXT TIME!"

To her surprise, instead of ignoring her, he turned, and twirled a kunai in a deft and swirling motion [like how one would spin a pen], which she took as an agreement.

The feelings of fatigue and pain trickling away, she grinned. She always loved a good challenge.

The atmosphere seemed to lift as everyone started to smile.

"It was a fair fight." Knight Master said briskly, yet there was a twinkle in her eyes. "The winner of the first match is Lass. Is he fully healed?"

"Yup!" Arme replied cheerfully, wiping her forehead.

"Good." She smiled at the mage for her efforts; she was doing a lot today. "Who wishes to go next?"

There was a split-second silence, then a voice piped up. "I do."

All eyes zipped towards the speaker.

* * *

..And yup, that's my first attempt at a detailed battle scene. Not sure if I did it right, so some reviews on that would be nice :)

Lalala~ I wonder who should be next.


	9. Duelling 2

Was it over? Elesis was lying on the ground, knocked out. Lass was clutching his daggers so hard that his hands were beginning to tingle, but he ignored that. In the last moments of their duel, he felt it: the voice had retreated, only to strike harder with non-verbal communication. He still had control of his body, of course; nothing would make him lose that again, but he somehow felt that…she was still part of him, like a horrible, festering parasite, probing ihis mind. Just before, he had been weak, tired, and then suddenly he was filled with energy, taking out Elesis in mere seconds. That was logically impossible.

But it was odd. Kaze'Aze would usually torment him endlessly, always taking the opportunity to demean him, belittle him. If she had some sort of mind-connection with him, then why didn't she just use it to control him again like before? Or just piss him off all day? The fact that she struck between intervals…was…unsettling. Was it that she chose to do so, to entrap him when he least suspected it?

"Lass!" Several voices pulled him out of his thoughts. "Lass! Are you all right?"

"Wh–" he stopped himself, just in time. They didn't need to know about it, and it would stay that way. "Yeah."

"You've won." Jin said, smiling. "Nice one."

"Don't congratulate him yet, it's not over." Amy chided. Then to Lass, "But you fight good. I think maybe I'll go next." She laughed, toying with her chakrani.

"Sure." He shrugged, not sure what else to say.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" Ronan stepped in, always the tactful one. "Seems you got some bad hits."

"I'm fine."

"Really?"

"…"

With a sceptical look, the Dancer suddenly jabbed a finger into the thief's side. As she guessed, he winced almost imperceptibly before rounding on her with a death glare. "Hey, I was checking." Amy said good-naturedly, raising her hands in physical surrender. He continued to glower.

Lire salvaged the situation. "Lass, you need to heal. Arme, why don't you help him over there?" She nodded to a bench some distance off. "It'll be more comfortable." Arme nodded mutely as the pair walked towards the bench, neither making eye contact.

"And we should help Elesis, too." Crap. They'd forgotten about Elesis, who had been out cold for a while now. Ronan looked horrified.

"I'll heal her!" Ronan hastily lifted up the Red Knight, the others trailing behind him. Ryan was about to follow, but Lire held him back. Best to say it now than let it stew on.

"Ryan, um, it's about the forest. And…" Grabbing his hand, she dragged the confused Druid off to somewhere quieter.

Lass plopped down on the ground, back leaning against the wooden leg of the bench. Arme frowned.

"You can sit on the bench, you know."

"It's okay."

Not wanting to argue, the mage pursed her lips and got to work. He had a lot of bruises. For a while, there was silence.

Watching her, Lass couldn't help but feel guilty. She was merely trying to help by reaching out to him, like all the others; he had no reason to lash out at her. Even now she was careful not to let the staff or her hands touch him, only letting the magic swirl around him. Presumably the result of yelling "Don't touch me" at her. Which of course made him feel a whole lot better.

"I'm…sorry." He was saying that a lot today. The mage looked up, startled.

"No no, it's fine. I was too prying, to talk to you like that." She smiled a little bit. "I'll be careful."

"Still, I'm sorry. It was wrong to lash at you like that."

"Don't worry, we're all friends~" Regaining her cheer, she continued to repair his damaged skin. "So, who do you think you'll battle next?"

"Not sure." He shrugged his shoulders, forgetting that they were also sore as well. He winced.

"Are you okay?"

"Sort of."

"Nice try." Narrowing her purple eyes, she laid her staff, which were glowing with healing magic, on his shoulder. Immediately the soreness started to fade away, leaving a pleasant sensation behind. "You know, most of us here already like you."

"What?"

"Why wouldn't we?" She laughed, erasing the last of the pain.

"But the Red one, I mean, she…"

"Elesis? Oh, she's like that to everyone. I think she's a bit sensitive because she lost her fa–" she stopped herself in time, "I mean, she'll come around, don't worry. After all, you are our friend."

Not sure of what to do, he nodded.

"And…that's it, we're done. You feeling okay?" Arme scooted back a bit.

The pain and discomfort were completely vanished, replaced with renewed energy. The thief flexed his arm, feeling a surge of confidence rush through him. He turned to a beaming Arme.

"Thank you–"

"DON'T THINK YOU'VE BEATEN ME YET! I'LL BEAT YOU NEXT TIME!" Elesis had woken up, very much alive. But she wasn't angry at her defeat. Instead, she was pointing at him with a determined look. He considered ignoring her like he usually did with everyone, but Arme said they liked him. That he was a friend.

He took out a kunai and twirled it, answering her challenge.

Elesis broke into a grin, and the others started to laugh. Lass didn't exactly know why, but their happiness and mirth was infectious. Amy and Arme were giggling, and even the usually calm-faced Jin was grinning, too.

For the first time in a rather long time, his usually stoic face broke into a smile. A very small smile, but a smile nonetheless.

"WHAT? You burnt the forest?" Ryan's eyes looked as if they were about to pop out.

"Part of it. But it couldn't be helped, I'm sorry." She looked ashamed.

He sighed. "It's fine, really. Is that it?"

"Actually, no." Even though they were some distance away from their friends, her voice dropped to an urgent whisper. "There's something else you should know."

* * *

"…You're not serious, right? Ha ha ha…okay, you're serious, never mind."

"I'm surprised you didn't understand it sooner, Ryan."

"Yeah, me too. But I still don't get–"

"The point is, no one else must know. If they– don't look at me like that." She frowned. "You know very well why. As for me…" she faltered, but steadied her voice. "Well."

"I...know. But is it really that bad? Surely…"

"Ryan." Her tone was even, but the look Lire gave him spoke volumes, shutting him up. She sighed. "I know it sounds pretty far-fetched, so here." She snatched his hand, stuffed something into it, and closed his fingers over it immediately. "Be careful." She looked up, and the Druid nodded.

"Right."

"…Good." The Knight Master's voice boomed out of nowhere. "Who wishes to go next?"

Both elves exchanged glances, Lire nodding earnestly.

"I do." Ryan hefted his Jade Hook, clutching the thing Lire had given him in his other hand like it was a lifeline. All eyes zipped towards him, most of them filled with surprise. Ryan was a good fighter, but not as…avid as Elesis. So then, why?

The Knight Master also shared this slight confusion, but she did not pursue it. "Very well, Ryan will be the next opponent. Ryan, please get into your Combat Armour." She gestured to a jade-coloured set studded with topaz-looking gems. In no time, the two boys were in the combat zone, facing each other.

"On the whistle this time." Knight Master announced. "One, two, three!" _Fweeeeeeet!_

This time, the match was somewhat evened out. Lass had been trained to hide in the shadows, and strike at the vital points. However, the Sentinel was also skilled in becoming invisible and moving in stealth as the guardian of the forest. Both were trained to use the element of surprise to their advantage.

Ryan didn't attack, waited for Lass to move first. Lass quickly drew his daggers and charged, aiming to distract him first then finish him off. Unexpectedly, instead of lunging forward as most would do to gain ground, the Sentinel stayed where he was, just staring at his opponent, until he dodged at the last instant, leaping away. Lass was going too fast to swerve or stop in time, which revealed his unprotected back. Shit.

"Back-spin Slash!" He could feel the blade of the Hook followed by a heel gouging into his back, sending him sprawling into the earth, giving him a mouthful of mud. _Crack_. However, Ryan did not pursue him and calmly waited some distance away, waiting for the thief to get back up.

He got up, spitting dirt and feeling rather stupid. The duel had barely begun, and the elf managed to gain the upper hand by using a tactic that only someone dumb as Elesis would have fallen for. Shaking it off, he tried to calm himself. Ryan was almost as agile as he was, and it would be hard to get in a direct hit. The skill Impact Slash, the one he used on Elesis, was easy enough, but Ryan wasn't exactly going to stick around long enough for that. The second one was even riskier, but he could get in a direct hit…

He looked up in time to see Ryan lunging for him, rising to strike him with his Jade Hook. Seeing that gave him an idea. He evaded the strike by a mere hairline, feigning weakness and fatigue. When they clashed weapons, Lass deliberately slowed his speed and only emerged to block or parry. It wasn't the best tactic, but if he could get a clear shot, it'd be almost over. Sensing the elf's confusion, he inwardly smiled. Slash, block, slash, block. It went on like that for a while.

"What is he doing? He wasn't that hurt, was he?" Elesis grumbled, slightly bored.

"He shouldn't be, but it did catch him off-guard, I guess."

As the elf pressed on, Lass saw an opening. As Ryan rose to strike, Lass aimed and slashed back. "Fatal Fury!"

_Crack_. The blow smacked into Ryan, the surrounding stream of blue lightning confirming a successful hit. Ryan could feel his energy draining away in an instant rush and grit his teeth, keeping his legs steady out of sheer willpower. What was that attack? His arms suddenly felt like lead weights, his legs a couple of pliant twigs. His ears were ringing as well. _Damn._

"Nice." Ryan managed to grin, breathing hard.

"Thanks." Lass responded just as easily. "Can you still move, or shall we call it a draw?"

Ryan chuckled; so, the stoic thief could crack a joke. "Nah. You can bow out if ya wants."

"Tempting." The thief rocketed in for another blow.

Ignoring the throbbing pain coursing through his body, the Sentinel heaved himself up, and just before Lass was about to strike he yelled, "Soul Impact!" which created a small explosion that almost knocked Lass backwards.

"Tch." This needed to end now. The thief began to dash around Ryan, confusing him with his blinding speed and hurling countless kunai. Ryan nearly fell as one shot for his shin, but he turned the stumble into a graceful dodge as he used his Jade Hook to block off most the projectiles. Then he launched into an offensive strategy; using his keen eyesight, he waited until the right moment then, "Spinning Phantom!"

However, he was early by a mere millisecond; he instead head butted into a nearby tree he hadn't seen before. WHAM!

"Huh, never knew he liked nature that much…" Elesis muttered. Arme shot her a frown. Lire merely smiled faintly.

Ryan could see stars, and his head felt like it had been crushed by a dump truck. What was going on? He saw three silver-haired kids coming for him, swinging a couple of steak knives– swinging, swinging…_Crack!_ Ouch, that hurt. Wait. He was in a battle. Snap out of it, Ryan. Come on, snap out of it. He hurled his body sideways, rolling for all he was worth. Using that momentum, he heaved himself up, panting, bruised, but still standing.

"You're good." He managed to rasp out.

This time, Lass didn't answer, again dashing in, this time for the final attack. But Ryan wasn't going to go down so easily. He gripped his Jade Hook and dove forward. The silverette automatically raised his daggers to defend himself, but the hook never came his way.

_Thwack. _The Chase, standing afar, rubbed their eyes to see if their vision had failed them. Even Knight Master raised an eyebrow.

Ryan's right hand still gripped the Jade Hook, but his left hand was curled into a fist. He had just punched him, square in the chest.

"Ah!" Lass suddenly jerked away, overcome by a wave of pain. That blow barely dented the jewel embedded on his chest, so why did suddenly feel like he had the breath knocked out of him? That wasn't supposed to happen; a punch couldn't possibly hurt much. He felt something claw at him, shrieking mindlessly. Was that him? He was being scalded, tortured again…just like…before…He could see Ryan, looking horrified. Did he know? No! If he knew about Kaze'Aze, then…

As a last resort, Lass chucked his daggers at the Druid before falling facefirst onto the ground, his vision swimming. They were shouting, calling, running over, hands were reaching for him, raising him to his feet.


	10. Duelling 3

"Lass!"

"He got knocked out by Ryan's punch." Jin coolly stated the obvious as if it were a great revelation.

"So we've noticed, funnily enough. But look, the chest stone is still intact. How's that possible?"

"Dunno, I've never seen Ryan punch before. He always swings around his Jay Huk or whatever he calls it–" said Elesis.

"It's Jade Hook, brainless." Amy cut in.

"Oh, like you know any better."

"I know more than you ever will–"

"Keep talking and I'll shove your trap up your–"

"Quiet!" Knight Master yelled. "Both warriors have been knocked out cold, and the rest of you find arguing a more urgent matter?" As the Chasers opened their mouth in protest, she raised her hand. "Never mind that, first let's carry them and see the extent of the damage."

At that moment, a soldier came bursting into the field. Remembering his protocol in time, he skidded to a stop as he bowed respectfully to the Knight Master and saluted each Chaser in turn before turning back to the Master: "Knight Master, ma'am! The Queen has commanded that you report to her immediately!"

"What? Now of all times? Oh, very well." To the Chasers, "Continue without me, I shall return shortly." Back to the soldier, "I will come at once, lead the way."

"Yes, ma'am!" Bowing once more, the soldier bustled out, the Master following en suite, leaving the confused Chasers.

"What could have happened? Knight Master specifically told everyone, even her Highness that she shouldn't be disturbed today with the trials …" Ronan trailed off, bemused.

"Whatever it is, it'll have to wait." Arme pointed to Lass and Ryan. "Ronan, help me heal them."

"Right." The group made to move.

"Wait." The Red Knight raised her hands as if to call for a time-out. "First things first…who won?"

"That's not exactly important right now." Arme snapped, exasperated.

"It _is_ important!" Elesis yelled back. "Did he win or did he lose?"

Lire interrupted. "Why don't we discuss it later? Disputing about this any further now would just endanger their lives."

"But the duel–" Elesis persisted.

"Yes, that is important. But I'm sure it can wait, unless you two enjoy arguing so much that you wouldn't care to see these two waking up ever again…?"

"Humph." Both girls turned away, scowling. Lire just smiled, but it looked strained.

"Let's carry them somewhere safer, shall we? I think their faces are turning blue."

* * *

It was dark. Was this the Underworld? He couldn't even see his hands. The pain was gone, though, that blinding pain that had clawed at him just moments ago. Was that the elf's secret skill that he hadn't known about? Or maybe it had something to do with the thing Lire had given him before their duel, whatever it was. The thought of her giving the thing to Ryan, worried for him, it made the thief…uncomfortable? But why should it?

The surrounding darkness seemed to thicken. Lass waved his hand to dispel it, but it did little. He could hear something; voices, they were muffled but were becoming clearer. They were calling for him…

"Lass!" a shrill, high-pitched voice wailed, grating into his ears.

"Oi! Get up!" Another voice commanded roughly as something nudged his side. (Ugh.)

"Please try to keep it down, he's still injured. _Holy Inferno!_" His body felt tingly as he felt it magically repairing itself. He blearily opened his eyes and found himself lying in the middle of a glowing magic circle, with Ronan sitting left beside him, with Amy and Elesis standing on his right. Someone had taken off his armour, but left his shirt and pants on. He appreciated that.

"And I don't think kicking his side will help him recover any faster, Elesis."

"I nearly kill this guy, and he's still standing. Ryan gives a crappy punch, and he gets knocked out. He'll recover."

"Weren't you the one that was almost killed?"

She grunted; she hated to admit defeat when she'd have gladly challenged the thief again if only she could. Grumbling, she stalked off.

"You didn't have to remind her; she's still sore about it." Ronan chided.

"It was true, though." Amy huffed.

The Spell Knight did not reply, choosing to concentrate on the healing spell instead. The Dancer lingered for a while longer until she quickly got bored, and she too pranced off to amuse herself elsewhere.

"Are they…always like that?" Lass rasped out.

"You'll get used to it." The Knight smiled tiredly. "They consider every moment that they don't fight a moment wasted."

"Huh."

"Yup." A few moments passed in silence. The spell was working steadily, as the initial throbbing from his head had now ceased and the raw edge of the pain in his chest was fading, too.

"How's Ryan?"

"No worse than you." He nodded his head towards the elf, who lay unconscious as Arme healed him. Lire was also there as well, looking anxious, which somehow annoyed the thief. He looked away.

"Lass?"

"Hm?"

"If it's Elesis you're mad about, don't worry; she's like that with everyone. You were the first to beat her so thoroughly, and although it seems like she holds a grudge against you, I think that she might even respect you." The Spell Knight grinned. "Amy's a good person, too."

Although the reason for his annoyance was far from Elesis and Amy, Lass nodded. He liked Ronan; there was no pressure for idle chatter, and despite that he looked much older, he felt a kinship with him that probably stemmed from…

"…Kaze'Aze. How were you possessed?" Lass blurted out. As soon as he did, he wished he could sew up his stupid mouth.

Ronan looked startled at the sudden change in topic, but understood. The boy was still feeling distraught, but the knowledge that he wasn't the only one to be used as a vessel assured him that he was not alone. He deserved to know anyway. He looked around: Lire and Arme were still busy with Ryan, Elesis was sharpening her sword that didn't look menacing at all [full sarcasm intended], Jin was training with a punching bag, and Amy was adjusting the strings on her violin. All of them were completely preoccupied.

"Just so you know, I wasn't the first." he began as his eyes darted around to ensure that no one would overhear, "Her Royal Highness of Kanavan was the first victim, who was driven into the Five-Year War. I was serving under her as Captain of the Royal Guard, the general of her army. Kaze'Aze possessed me as well to gain more power over the kingdom. I killed…a lot of people as well. People that weren't soldiers, ordinary civilians that has nothing to do with the fight.

"I don't clearly remember how I was freed. But what I do remember is the Chase, which was only Elesis, Lire, and Arme that time. I almost killed them, but they did it. They broke the Shadow Orb, the thing that's been used to control me.

"But I didn't escape completely unscathed. This," He pulled on his collar, revealing a black mark on his left shoulder, "is my reminder." He smiled acidly. "When the orb shattered, a piece nicked right here. The mark never went away, no matter how much I tried to get rid of it. I think it'll go when she does." Pulling his collar back into place, he sighed. "And there you have it. It'd be best to, er, not tell anyone, okay?"

"Yeah." Lass blinked as he sat up. "Sorry to bring the subject up so quickly."

"Don't be. You had a right to know." The Knight re-sheathed his blade; the healing was complete. "Just don't forget that you're not alone." He stood up, and reached out his hand.

"Right." Accepting the hand, Lass got up. "Thanks."

"Hey everyone, Ryan's coming around!"

All turned towards the Druid, who had indeed came around. He sat up, groaning, as Lire and Arme looked on, relief clearly etched on their faces.

"I'm alive." He flexed his hand, amazed.

"Yes, the gods said it was too early for you to pass." Amy grinned. "You owe Arme, you know."

"Right." He scratched his bushy head. "Thanks, Arme." Leaning over, he pecked the mage lightly on the cheek, causing her face to turn a bright red.

"So everyone's healed? Great, who won?" Elesis butted in after everyone stopped giggling.

"Here's how it went: Ryan got in one shot, Lass two. But he collapsed before Ryan, which means he lost by default. But before he keeled over, he threw his daggers that knocked out Ryan. That means Lass lost by collapsing first, but the first to lose their three stones was Ryan." A natural fighter, no battle details ever escaped Jin's eyes.

"So…a draw?" The disdain in her voice indicated her displeasure; in Elesis's opinion, you either win or lose such a battle. A tie did not, should not exist.

"Yup."

Ryan looked around, shrugged, and grinned. "Good game, man."

"Yeah. What was the last attack you aimed at me?"

"Oh, that?" He laughed as he massaged his sore fist. "It's a secret technique used by the Sentinels. I seldom use it because it's really strong, but I thought I'd take a shot."

The rest of the Chase perked up in interest. "Really? What's it called?"

"…I don't know."

Silence.

"It's not my fault; Lord Magnus Dan never thought up a name for it." He said hastily. "We just focus the essence of nature that resides within us into our fist– then– bam!" he shrugged.

"Sure, sure, the nature's ultimate punch of justice." Elesis grinned.

"Heh, you can call it that." The Druid took the jibe in stride.

"So it's a draw." Ronan confirmed. "So who do you want to battle next, Lass?"

"Me!" Elesis enthusiastically waved her sword around, the blade shining like quicksilver in the sunlight. "I want to battle him again!"

"You already battled him, stupid, you can't go again!" Arme shouted.

"I can and I will, shorty!"

As always, Lire stepped in. "Other people should be given a chance to fight, but if no one else volunteers, Elesis, you can fight again." She said in a soothing voice.

"Hmph, and I don't suppose you want to fight him?"

"I sort of already did." She smiled at Lass, who scratched his head before looking away.

"Fine, anyone else wanna fight him?" The Red Knight asked, daring anyone to challenge her. "No? No one? Okay, fine, I–"

The Dancer butted in "_I_ do!" she beamed, seemingly oblivious to the chagrin that washed over Elesis's face.

"Okay, Amy. Get ready." Lire pointed to a very pink set of armour hanging on the rack.

"Stupid pumpkin face." The Red Knight grumbled. Thankfully, Amy did not hear.

* * *

"Since we don't have a whistle, I'll use my magic to let you know when it starts!"Arme said cheerfully.

"Good, let's begin."

"Knock 'em dead, Lass!"

"Go Amy!"

Ready…set…

"_Fire Bolt!_" The fiery projectile seared through the sky, the flames flashing its blinding light. It was on.

Lass moved cautiously, his senses on high alert. He wasn't sure how this girl fought, and the fight he had with the Chase as a possessed puppet was a dim memory. Exactly what she was able to do with what looked like a couple of giant hoops with a couple of donut holes attached to it Lass had no idea, but if she was part of Chase, no doubt she had a considerable amount of power and a few tricks up her sleeve.

On the other hand, Amy looked completely at ease, giggling and grinning. "I won't go easy on you!" she chirped as she winked at the thief.

"Neither will I."

They stared at each other for a split second before Lass suddenly vanished and reappeared behind Amy a split second later, his dagger aimed for her unprotected back.

Amy moved just as quick, whirling around and yelling "_Spinning Counter!_" She aimed three strong kicks right for Lass's face, who only got away by a hair's breath. Then she swung her chakrani at him, and then retracted it just as quickly.

Lass moved back just enough to dodge, and then leapt over her, chucking a couple of kunai over her head. She realized and raised her hands to shield herself a second too late; the jewel embedded on the helm shattered with a dull _crack_ as it found its mark.

"Did you really just hit a girl?!" she growled as she picked herself up. Then her features smoothed back. "Ah~ an idol mustn't lose her face like this~ _Let's Dance!_"

"W-what?" Lass spluttered. As soon as Amy said "Let's Dance!" he felt his legs moving, the all-too-familiar feeling of his body acting against his will washing over him. He felt his feet moving in quick, rhythmic steps as Amy danced beside him, a pink magic circle glowing beneath them with hearts all about them. Lass felt ill, and it wasn't just because the dance was sapping his energy.

Jin sighed wistfully, "I wish I could dance with her…"

"And…HAH!" For the finale, Amy knocked her opponent into the ground a few feet away, with Lass barely landing on his feet. He felt woozy and slightly nauseous.

"Thank you for dancing with me~" Amy tee-heed as she brandished her chakrani. "And as a final treat for my fans…_Photo Shoot!_"

A pink orb materialized in the Dancer's hands, and she aimed it at the Thief, who managed to evade by hurling himself to the side, the orb missing by inches.

_Damn!_ He thought as he darted away, the nausea wearing off. She was fast, and she wielded those hoop-thingies (How would Lass know that they were called chakrani?) with such precision that it was more like an extension of her arms.

There was no time to think; Amy had launched in front of him, unleashing a flurry of punches. Lass quickly countered each with his daggers, but he couldn't seem to find an opening. Amy wasn't the best at running, but her arms moved in a blur, whether they aimed to punch or swing with those demonic hula hoops. He jabbed for her flank and was surprised that she didn't jerk away. _Crack._ Too late he recognized the trick: while he had aimed for her, she had readied another Photo Shoot, which had hit him.

So when Amy knocked another blow at his feet, he fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes, fully paralyzed for three seconds. But that was enough for Amy to kick Lass like a football. _Wham! Punt!_ _Crack!_ The back. _Crack._ His right side.

"_Finale…Amy Kick!_" she yelled as she jumped high, her heel aimed right for his head. But the three seconds were up; the moment Lass felt his senses returning, he quickly darted out of the way. There was no need; Amy's kick always had a mass delay anyhow.

"One more and you're out~" she said in a singsong voice that irritated Lass.

His mind was racing. She was fast, and he couldn't get in any critical hits. He was at a severe disadvantage: two of his jewels were gone, and he needed to end this battle quickly. Then a sudden idea came to him. The more energized a fighter was, the more were they to give in to their excitement or anger. Amy had that, so…"Invisible State!" At once, his body faded from the human eye.

However, that did not mean Amy couldn't see the dust clouds forming around him each time he took a step. "I can't see you, but I can still win!"

Time was running out; Lass aimed a series of fire-kunai, which set off a loud explosion that confused the Dancer. "Wha–?" Using her split-second of confusion, Lass quickly crept up behind her, sheathed his daggers…

…and touched her chest.

The battlefield suddenly went very quiet.

"What's going on? I can't see…" Elesis grumbled. [Note: It was all smoky and Lass was invisible.]

"Whoa…since when did it get so quiet?" Ryan twitched his ears, picking up nothing

"What happened to Amy?" Jin paced.

…

"AAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEE !"

Lass had never been around humans much; from Kaze'Aze, he only learned rudimentary skills in human interaction, since one didn't need to when they were designed only to kill. When he was out to spy on the humans, he noticed that the females didn't like having certain areas touched, or even stared at. While he knew that most women tended to get riled up, he didn't know that touching a woman's bust was a very _extreme_ no-no.

"YOU SHAMELESS BASTARRRRRD!" Amy yelled at the top of her lungs, her face turning seven different shades of scarlet.

Lass re-appeared again, daggers at ready. Amy charged like a raging bull, clutching her chakrani and yelling. Just as he expected, Amy was definitely on high now; her anger had taken control of her, making her moves reckless. Girls are such strange creatures, he thought.

He jumped straight up, a kunai for her back. _Crack._

She turned and launched into a clumsy attack sequence. Lass parried each blow, then aimed at her right flank. _Crack._

"The match is over!" Arme called out, magnifying her voice with her staff. "Lass won! Get back here!"

Lass didn't need to be told twice; he jumped and ran back to the Chase, the Dancer following in hot pursuit, still yelling some choice words about perverts.

Lire caught the Thief and steadied him, "You won, but why is Amy still…?"

"DIE!" Amy screamed, lashing her chakrani at the two. Lass quickly lifted a startled Lire and jumped out of the way, yelling "Someone stop her!"

Ronan got to it first, clinching the frenzied Dancer into a gentle but firm headlock while Arme and Jin tried to calm her down with little success. Elesis and Ryan gawked with wide-eyed confusion; usually Elesis was the most prone to having berserk fits.

Even Lass wasn't prepared for the outrage his actions have sparked; he made a mental note to himself to never use such a tactic again. For a second there…she looked like an ogress or something.

"Um, Lass, you can put me down now…"

"Huh?" Looking down, he realized he was still carrying the elf, whose face was tinged a slight pink, but otherwise looked calm. "Sorry." Face feeling hot, he set her down.

"Thanks." still blushing, she hurried away to help Amy.

Lass then quickly tried to slip away from the havoc he'd caused, only to be stopped. "Wow, what on earth did you do to her?" An awed Ryan asked.

"Nothing." he said hastily. "It's just this skill– I mean, this thing that I know, sort of."

"You didn't hurt her too bad, did you?" Jin asked, his eyes glowing a dangerous light.

"Uh–" Thankfully, Lass was spared when another soldier barged into the combat zone, clearly agitated.

"Grand Chase…General…Elesis!" he panted. "There is some…bad news!"

"What is it?" Elesis tore her eyes from Amy, startled by the urgency in his voice.

"The Knight…Master, she…she…the…Queen…." He paused to catch his breath.

"What is the news? Tell me!"

"It's all right, Elesis, let him rest." Lire stepped in. She was no longer smiling, instead looking clearly disturbed. Her ears were raised high, showing her anxiety. Ryan stiffened as well, clutching his Jade Hook. "Even from here, I can _smell_ her." he said in disgust.

"Kaze'Aze's in Bermesiah. We're under attack."

Lass felt his stomach drop. _She_ was here.

* * *

My, haven't updated in a while...did my writing skills get rusty? Did it? I'd be quite sad if it did, did it?

So how is everybody? :D Doing well?


	11. Kidnapping

"_You should be honoured, boy." she sang with glee. "You have been chosen to behold the wonder of my glory that will prepare the way to a new world!"_

_What wonder? What glory? This…carnage, the corpses that surrounded him…he wanted to go away, to be free from all this. This sea of blood, littered with unmoving bodies that always seemed to follow him, the blood and the blue fire that never left his face._

"You!_" A harsh voice rasped. "You!" Curious, Lass spun around. He came to face with a man, a farmer from his looks, who used a pitchfork as a cane to support his bleeding right leg, carrying a stained bundle in his other hand._

"_Why did you do this?" His voice choked as he flung aside the wrappings of the bundle, revealing a child, barely past infanthood. It was a wee thing with blond curls that adorned the small face, yet large and glassy brown eyes and a dark stain on the middle of her nightshirt indicated that the young soul had already departed. "My girl…my little girl… look at her! What did she do to you to have deserved this? LOOK AT HER!"_

_Lass stepped back, not wanting to look at the man's face, or the girl's. What should he say? What _could_ he say? "I–"_

"_Kill him, Lass." Kaze'Aze whispered into his ear. "Do so, or I will force my hand again!"_

"_All…had left, since…" the man stifled down his sobs, but when he looked up, a manic fire lighted his eyes. "Your…fault…!"_

_Despite Lass being the stronger and deadlier one, he shuffled a few steps back. This wasn't glory, this wasn't…_

"_DIE!" The farmer swung his pitchfork for Lass, who instinctively used his daggers to shield himself. He saw the pitchfork aiming for his face, a dark purple light, and then…nothing._

_He looked down, and he saw the farmer on the ground, still clutching his daughter as he spewed blood. Groaning, he looked up, "Devil's…child…" He jerked, then moved no more._

"_No…" His legs gave way, and he fell to the ground._

"_Get up, boy." she sneered. "This is your duty; foolish beings like these have no place in the world I will create. This is now your life, and always will be."_

* * *

"Then we go after her. At once!" Elesis buckled her sword and started to sprint for the exit, but was stopped by Jin.

"You're just going after her? Not even a plan?"

"This is what the Grand Chase is made for." She snarled; she had told little the personal debt that she needed to repay for her father.

"General Elesis, the Knight Master has commanded the entire Grand Chase to report to her office for discussion." The soldier breathed out.

Elesis clenched her teeth; evens she dared not disobey Knight Master, no matter how much her rage screamed for vengeance. "I will go." She said in a reasonably civil tone. "Come on." She gestured towards the Chase, who began buckling their real armour and weapons. Then Lass spoke up, "I want to come, too."

What the thief wanted to do more than anything was to wring the evil witch out of her senses, to bring down her demise with his very hands. But he knew that doing it alone would be downright impossible. To purge the darkness that surrounded this world as well as within himself, he needed help, and who'd be better than the Chase? Now, if they only trusted him enough…

"Should we take him?"

"He hasn't officially made it yet, there's still one more test–"

"I say we vote! Everyone who wants him to come along, say–"

"I'm standing right here…"

Ronan intervened. "Any other person should stay, but he's been possessed by Kaze'Aze; no one else here would know about her better than him, and by now, I think we can kind of count him in." The rest, not having much argument to differ, shrugged and agreed. As he avoided Amy's very dirty glares, Lass threw a nervous yet grateful glance at the Spell Knight, who smiled back.

"Chasers!" Knight Master yelled from her office. "Skip the pleasantries, hurry in!" It was rare to see her so rattled, but then again, it was a crisis.

"As you were informed, Kaze'Aze has stepped into the continent of Bermesiah." she began in a harsh, brittle tone.

"Knight Master, let us fight her! This is what we have been trained for!"

"Let me finish, Knight Elesis." She held up a hand. "Exactly what Kaze'Aze's objective is in this assault is still unclear as of yet. That is why I wish to ask Lass: do you have any idea of what the witch is planning? Your background is certainly linked with her, correct?"

Lass inwardly cringed; he knew this would come up. But why avoid it? All the greater chance at killing her. He felt a reassuring hand clamping his shoulder. "I'm not too certain myself, I was only her toy, not her trusted spy or servant. But she did tell me something about her 'plan'…" He shuddered at the memory, "…she's planning to eradicate every living being on this dimension to create a new world in her own twisted image." He gritted his teeth. "She will slay everyone with no mercy, including her own servants." _Namely, me._

"That crazy, horrid…" Arme seemed beyond words.

The Knight Master's brow furrowed; that only led to more questions. However, like he said, the boy knew barely anything; it was a miracle that he was able to fish out whatever information he could. "I see." She tapped her head, deep in thought. "Thank you, Lass."

Elesis grasped the hilt of her sword impatiently. "Why can't we go now? She's a threat to the whole continent!"

"Because that's exactly what she wants." Always the voice of reason, Lire lightly patted her friend's shoulder. "To lure us out so she could destroy us all. I guarantee she won't take our presence too kindly after the last several times we botched her plans."

"Thank you, Archer Lire." Knight Master nodded, and turned to the whole group. "Things are uncertain as of now, but one thing still stands firm: the Grand Chase will destroy Kaze'Aze." She ran a tired hand through her golden locks, looking grim. "I have already deployed my best troops to distract her for the time being. She already has hordes of monsters, I hear. I will join the battle myself soon, but none of you will participate in the battle."

"What?"

"But ma'am, you said–"

"You will face her yourself. I entrusted the task to you all when the Grand Chase was first formed; I am not about to withdraw my word.

"I assume the reason that the witch is here is not only to wreak havoc, but mainly to abduct Lass and take him back." Lass said nothing, but his insides were burning with revulsion; like hell he was going to let her take him back without a fight. "So she will probably go after him, and there you will lure her, form an ambush and hopefully defeat her. You will move to a place where the battle would suit best to your advantage, please try to keep it from the civilians."

"But if she's after me, why not take me right now?" Lass blurted out.

"Her Royal Highness is a practised mage as well as the sovereign of Serdin." she sighed. "The barrier that protects this castle will hold, although how long it will is…debatable. I suggest going to that small clearing near the Orc Temple; it has long since been abandoned, but be quick."

"I do not like this." The Knight Master buckled the last straps of her armour. "To place everything to chances and possibilities and half-truths…may the gods watch over us." She nodded one last time. "You are dismissed, Chasers."

"Thank you, Knight Master." They all bowed respectfully…before tearing out of the room like bullets, leaving clouds of dust.

* * *

"Come on, keep up!" Elesis barked, although no one was lagging behind. "That bitch could be watching us right now!" The Red Knight had a nasty habit of resorting to using extremely colourful language when particularly distressed.

"Elesis, language." Ronan warned, easily keeping up his speed.

"A crazy woman is attacking us, and all you can do is yap at me for 'bad language'?!"

"Potty-mouth! Potty-mouth! Elesis is a potty-mouth!" Amy sang loudly.

"Shut the hell up!"

"Will you two shut just up?"

"_You_ shut the hell up!"

"That's enough, we're almost there. Being quiet is the best thing to do, I think."

The skies, which had been so sunny before, was a now a foul colour of what Elesis called "seven shades of stale piss." (Ronan frowned disapprovingly.) As the Knight Maser said, the Orc Temple was completely deserted, with only a few passing tumbleweeds slightly diffusing the tension.

"Everyone scatter, but not too far."

"Why?"

"So she can't target us as a group, but close enough to help when she targets one of us." Of course, _one of us_ was just Lass. But they didn't point that out; all of them knew.

As Lass readied his daggers, he felt a sudden gust of dread settle over him; what would happen if she did manage to take him back? Her "darling pet", she once called him (Faugh!)

Suddenly, the field went completely still, even the wind had stopped blowing. Lass could feel it; she was here. Here, yes, but _where_ here? His eyes scanned the desolate landscape, there seemed to be something rumbling behind that cluster of giant rocks over there…

"Over there! Behind those boulders!" He yelled. Every head turned towards the direction, and true enough, a black portal was swirling behind, its size becoming bigger as chunks of debris swirled around it. Elesis made a mad dash for it, brandishing her weapon ferociously as she yelled, "Kaze'Aze–!"

"Wait." Lire thrust an arm, blocking the Knight, who stopped in disbelief. "Lire? What?!"

"Elesis, stay for a moment, please trust me." she said patiently. "It's a trap." The redhead glowered, but reluctantly complied. Lire then turned and nodded almost imperceptibly to Ryan, who casually stepped back. The void was expanding.

The golden elf looked around, eyes scanning the field, and then nodded in satisfaction. She calmly nabbed an arrow from Hammerspace, nocked it onto her bowstring…

…and aimed it straight for the silver-haired thief.

"Lire? What are you doing?"

"Put the arrow down!" Even Amy looked a little troubled. Lass could have easily jumped out of the way, but his legs seemed to have frozen in place. She looked different from before, when she was all warm and smiling; she looked so…cold.

Taking no heed from the others, Lire released the taut bowstring. _Twang!_

All the things that happened next seemed to happen simultaneously.

Lass, who was staring at the end of an arrow moments before, was now hurled to the side by an unseen force, tumbling to the ground. He caught a glimpse of bushy orange hair; Ryan. Was this their plan? To betray him and kill him? He felt a surge of anger at the thought, only to be quickly doused at another wave of wistful pain. Yes, this was what they'd expected, what he had initially wanted. Of course they wouldn't let a murderer join their ranks…after all, they were heroes. He closed his eyes, waiting for the final blow.

But there was no final blow. Confused, he opened his eyes to the merest of slits, the found himself hastily raised to his feet by a frantic Ryan.

"Sorry! Did you break something?"

"What do you mean?" Weren't they here to destroy him?

"Come on, we need help." The elf jerked his head towards the battle scene.

There were now two black portals, one spewing hordes of Black Mages and Orcs swinging their sticks and hands crackling with electricity from the hunks of rock…and there was a large, hand with an endlessly long arm that was roaming the battlefield, striking at the Chasers like a cobra. Lass recognized that hand; no one else would have 4-inch nails with blood red nail polish with a ring shaped like a coiled viper with the letter _K_ engraved onto it. Undiluted fury ripped through his veins as he saw that the arm was connected from a second portal that was exactly where he had been standing a moment ago.

At least Lire hadn't been trying to kill him. He inwardly sighed in relief before cloaking himself in invisibility and charging at the snake-hand. With methodical swiftness, he jabbed a blue-tipped kunai towards the wrist.

But it also moved with catlike grace, dodging it gracefully as the blue projectile froze a small part of the ground upon impact. Despite having no eyes or ears, the hand was a formidable opponent as it deflected the majority of the Chase's attacks. Lass gave up on trying to become unseen; the hand kept aiming for him, and he knew better than anyone that Kaze'Aze did not need eyes see or ears to hear.

"Everyone, get back! _Lightning Bolt!_" The hand quickly skipped above, instead pushing Elesis directly onto the path, her eyes widening as the lightning crackled towards her.

However, as brutish as Elesis could be, she was not entirely stupid. She quickly thrust her sword in front of her, her blade crackling with raw energy as it absorbed the lightning. The hand stuttered in its tracks, presumably surprised at Elesis's rare display of intelligence. (Just kidding.) Taking that advantage, she swung her lightning-charged blade, yelling, "_Sword Fire!_"

Magical lightning with magical fire was a very explosive combination that would have crumbled any other sword to dust with its power as it slashed downwards. The hand jumped a second too late; a chunk of its arm was now sizzling from the effect. Elesis yelled in triumph.

Then she turned to Arme, yelling, "You better not try to fry me again!"

She replied, "Then you better stay out of the way!"

The hand managed to get away from Elesis's range of fire, but anyone could tell from its decreased movement and speed that it was considerably injured. Encouraged, the rest of the Chase pressed on; Jin and Ryan was helping Amy keep the mages and Orcs at bay, preventing them causing a distraction as they also attacked Dark Portal #1. Ronan and Lire were hacking away at Portal #2 as Elesis, Arme, and Lass attacked Kaze'Aze's hand.

Lass hurled another blue-tipped kunai at the limb, this time hitting it spot-on. The hand was jerked into place as frosted ice shard materialized and pinned the hand onto the ground. A grim smile sneaked onto his lips as he readied his daggers for another blow.

"Ugh! Lass, behind you–!"

"What?" He only had time to turn around before a mass of black chains encircled and tightened around his torso and limbs, rendering him immobile. The thief bit back a cry of pain as the cold metal dug into his flesh, dragging him back into the black portal, which would certainly seal his doom.

"No!" He struggled against his bindings, but they all the more constricted around him, threatening to block his windpipe. They also wrapped around his hands, forcing him to drop his daggers, which were quickly apprehended by the hand, which had somehow broken free.

"Lass!" Turning away from the portal, Ronan quickly slashed at the chains, which were coming directly from Portal #2. It didn't take long to realize that merely cutting at them was pointless, so…"_Lunatic Force!_" A small ball of light roughly the size of a bowling ball issued from his hand, and went at a snail-like pace towards the black metal.

The effect was immediate; the frosty orb blasted into a million crystals, snapping off the chains as if they were thread. The chains suddenly went slack, causing Lass to promptly face-plant the ground, earning a mouthful of dirt.

"Guys, kill the portals!" Elesis yelled.

"Got it! _Meteor Shot!_" Lire did a double jump as she shot three arrows at the portal, causing a giant meteor explosion. When the smoke clouds dissipated, both the hand and portal was no more. Her timing couldn't have been better; Amy and Jin had also taken care of Portal #1 and all the other remaining monsters, which weren't too much of a challenge to them.

"We did it!" Elesis yelled, a new fire gleaming in her scarlet eyes. "We beat back the witch!"

"Yeah! Evil hag will think twice before messing with us again!" For once, Amy was agreeing with Elesis. She even seemed to have momentarily forgotten Lass's "assault."

"It's good that victory has come to us." Jin quietly agreed. "But I feel that it has been achieved far too easily..." He trailed, lapsing into silent rumination.

"I agree. She's still technically out there, and we should be careful."

"Oh, stop being such a pessimist, Lire. She's probably so pissed right now!" As Lass ripped the last of the chains off his body, he saw Ronan and Lire smiling helplessly as Elesis began doing fist-pumping, empowered with her success. Amy was dancing as well, laughing happily and twirling Jin around with her hands, who blushed hotly.

Ronan laughed, his mood lighting up; he couldn't remember the Red Knight looking so blissful since…eh, she never really did laugh. Smiling, he walked over to Lass. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm–" He suddenly felt his heart dropping to the pit of his stomach as a familiar dreadful aura crept up behind him. "Run!" A slight flicker of movement from the very back corner of his left eye sent him darting away. His paranoia and reflexes saved him; another black portal had appeared just above his head, albeit much smaller this time, no bigger than an egg. The same hand came out, fingers outstretched. A dark orb materialized in front of it, growing bigger...and bigger...

"Duck!" Lass felt himself thrown backwards by the impact as his hands immediately went for his daggers...which weren't there? Right, she had taken them. Damn. A hunk of rock bashed the side of his head, blurring his vision. He felt her coming for him, and he instinctively hurled the first kunai he could hold in his pocket at the general direction before his eyes closed over.

The Chase was confused, most of them also knocked out by flying hunks of rubble and the explosion. The attack had caught them completely off-guard, and Kaze'Aze's hand searched for Lass.

However, no one (including Lass) realized that the kunai Lass had thrown was from the Knight Master, and the tip of it was a very purple colour. Not knowing, the hand idly flicked it away. Big mistake.

The intended shockwave was usually not too big, but the former explosion from the witch had somehow amplified it tenfold, which rocked the very base of Orc Temple. Naturally the Chase had no idea what was going on amidst the chaos, and those who hadn't been struck down by the first detonation quickly succumbed to the second.

* * *

Somewhere far away, in the desolate continent of Ellia, she swore under her breath. Next to the Chase, she hated disobedient pets. Yes, she hated them very much. What had the boy done? Just when she thought she had him, he had turned on her. So he had learned a new trick.

She gritted her teeth; teleporting was never one of her strong points. It was taking a toll on her just to open a portal and stick her arm through it, and to use her powers through it was exhausting, even for her.

If only she could penetrate the castle, but that dastardly pathetic excuse of a queen had her ways. Hmph.

Time was running out, she had to find him quick. Her hands could not see, but she could sense the darkness within him, tainting him. Her lip curled; at least that hadn't disappeared, although it had faded a little. She would have to take care of that. Should she just grab a random one and drag him back? Surely the Chase would come to retrieve their comrade, with her darling pet following them.

And...there! Lying just a few feet away from her seeking fingers. Quickly, she thrust forward, and grabbed a limb, most likely an arm, or a leg. It didn't matter. Using her black chains, she nabbed the body and dragged him back where he belonged.

* * *

The Orc Temple had never exactly been one of the cleanest places in Bermesiah, but now it was a real mess. Rubble was strewn everywhere, and the Chase were scattered about like flies, dazed and hurt. Slowly, each of them opened their eyes, and after they got over their initial stabs of pain, they looked around for the others.

"Elesis!"

"Ryan?"

"Pumpkin head!"

"...That had better not be referring to me..."

"Jin? Are you ok– whoa, nasty bruise you got there."

"Lass? Lass! Where are you!"

Ugh...he was getting knocked out far too much. That was it. He pried open his eyes, despite their protests. After testing his limbs and finding them in working order, he got up. He looked around, everyone seemed to be here, dazed, sore, but alive. He was surprised that he found himself relieved that they were safe.

They all seemed to be here: The Knight, the Fighter, the Orange Elf, the Touchy Dancer...who was missing?

"Lire? Where is she?" Had she been taken?

"Lire!"

"I can't find her anywhere...that means she might have been taken."

"No." Lass fought to keep the panic out of his voice; he'd rather voluntarily go back to the witch rather than let her, let any of these people be kidnapped in his stead. What had he done?

"I'm right here, everyone." The golden elf also looked a bit ruffled, but she looked better than Arme, whom she carefully supported while holding her bow. "I don't think she's going to come back for a while. We have to get back _now_."

"Aw, can't we be healed a bit first?"

"Does Arme look like she's in any condition to heal?"

"Hmph, I'll get Ronan to do it. Where is he?" At this, Lire's encouraging smile faded, as she stared at the ground.

"Aw, now we have to search for him, too? Man..."

"He's not here."

"Huh."

"He's gone. Kaze'Aze took him."

* * *

Hm...I don't have much to say here other than the usual stuff, so I'll just shut up for now. :3  
I'm delighted with all the positive feedback and advice I'm getting, thank you.


	12. Leaving

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you see? The explosion confused her, and she thought she got Lass. But she got Ronan instead." Ryan's expression looked bleak.

The initial shock fading, Elesis gripped her sword. "No. You're lying." Her face looked ashen; the witch had taken her father, and now Ronan. "No."

"I saw the chains grabbing for him, Elesis. I'm sorry–"

"You saw him? Then why didn't you save him instead to hiding like a coward?"

Ryan didn't flinch at her harsh words. "Because I was pinned underneath by a heap of rocks, and I couldn't move."

"But you could've tried!" Her voice angrily rose to a scream.

"Elesis, calm down. We're going to save him–"

"_You shut up!_" Elesis now turned to Lire, turning her rage against the elf. "Who are you to tell me what to do? How would you know what it's like to lose both your father and friend to that bitch?"

"Don't talk to Lire and Ryan that way!" Arme now stepped forward, her hand carrying a Fire Bolt. "This is none of their fault, and you have no right to take out your anger on them!"

Elesis looked beyond livid, while the other boys looked on, helpless. In all the times they have fought, there was not one Chaser that saw the special bond between the Red and Blue Knight (except for Elesis.) True, they have been separated many times in battle before, but never too long to raise a concern; after all, they were exceptional fighters. But this was Kaze'Aze, the witch behind every kind of evil. It had taken a near-miracle to save Lass, and how much luck would they need to get back Ronan?

"…and some leader you are!" Amy snapped. "Letting your anger take full control of you and yelling at your friends who fought beside you, some leader you are!"

"Just stop it!" Arme shrieked, the growing cracks in her voice indicating that she was on the verge of tears. "Stop yelling! This is all your fault, Elesis!"

"My fault?!"

"We need to stop her." Ryan mumbled, worried. "This is exactly what Kaze'Aze wants, to tear us apart…"

Lass was getting a bit anxious, too. But he didn't know what to do, so he stood at a loss as the girls screeched at each other like deranged harpies. Elesis's hand was on the hilt of her sword, looking ready to skewer Amy through.

"I don't even understand why you're even the leader!"

Lire stepped out, clearly realizing that she couldn't fix the problem alone. Her eyes were focused in concentration as she thought hard…"Jin, can I talk to you for a moment?" she said quietly.

Startled, the Fighter complied, approaching the elf. She whispered a few things into his ear, who then nodded. "I see."

He gingerly walked towards the other three girls; all of them had their weapons drawn. They stared at him threateningly, daring him to interfere.

"Oi, Jin! Tell your pathetic excuse of a girlfriend to shut her trap." Elesis snapped.

Instead of replying, however, he struck the Red Knight on the back of her neck. Without so much as a word of protest, the Red Knight crumpled to the ground, the other two staring at him with awestruck fear. "What did you do to her?!"

"It's only temporary." Jin calmly replied. "Are you two going to keep arguing, or should I have to do it to you guys too?" The Mage and Dancer faltered under his stern gaze, guilt and shame overriding their rage.

"Let's just go." Lass said quietly.

No one said a word on the way back.

* * *

"Chasers– Oh. Lire, Ryan, Jin, Lass, where are the others?"

"They are recuperating as of the present. Their injuries are severe enough that they should rest for now."

"What happened to Kaze'Aze?"

"We managed to drive her back, but she'll attack us again. We'll have to go directly to her Castle to slay her."

"That would be walking right to her, which is exactly what she wants." She frowned disapprovingly.

"But it's the only way."

"Still, I do not like it." She shook her head. "I think that it's best that you use at least a few more days to train and prepare."

"Every minute we stay here gives her more time to torture R– other people." Lass caught himself in time. "Can't we leave a bit sooner?"

"We shall have this discussion once every Chase member is fit to talk. You must be tired, take a long rest." She waved her hand in dismissal.

"Can someone please tell me why we didn't tell her about Ronan?" mumbled Ryan as soon as he made sure that Knight Master had gone beyond hearing distance.

"Because if we did she'll scold us harshly and be all the more convinced to keep us in the Castle to empower our strengths, giving Kaze'Aze more time to carry out her schemes, which would be very bad." Jin answered as they climbed the stairs.

"But how are we going to get him back?"

"I'll do it." Lass finally spoke up. "She was after me anyway. If I can maybe–"

"No." The Fighter halted and turned fully towards Lass, face impassive. "Now you're being ridiculous."

"But why do you even want me alive?" Lass also stopped, finally blurting out the question he'd always wanted to ask. "You could have killed me then and there, then you wouldn't have the trouble you're having right now; Ronan would still be here, and none of this would have happened."

"And what about you?" He crossed his arms. "Where would you be? I don't know what Kaze'Aze wants with you, but knowing her, you'd probably be revived as an Undead, continuing whatever you've been doing. And even if you were dead, you'd be forever guilty, never having been granted the chance to redeem yourself. But here you are, against all the odds, with that chance. Are you going to throw it away so easily?"

Lire softened her comrade's words. "Knight Master trusts you. Kaze'Aze controlled your soul, and that is all. None of us judge you for your past, but you are."

"Dude, did you not see the Knight Master?" Ryan protested. "She already considers you one of us now! Well, not officially, but kind of anyway."

Lass really didn't know how to respond to Jin's words, and his outburst sent a wave of shame down his back. They were right; what was he doing?

"Anyway, I don't think you can make a fair deal with her."

"The others are waiting." After making a few turns, they came upon a door Lass hadn't noticed before, which revealed a spacious room endowed with elegant furnishings, complete with warm yellow lamps that dangled from the ceiling and a round table in the middle. Elesis and Amy were stretched out on individual sofas while Arme sat on an armchair, looking unusually pale. All three heads snapped up at their arrival, watching with troubled eyes.

Elesis began. "Jin, you–"

"I told him to do it, Elesis." Lire interrupted quietly. "You would have ravaged the entire continent if your rage went unchecked. I'm sorry."

"Hmph, I know." She looked away. "I won't let it happen again. And Knight Master? Does she know...?"

"No, not yet." Ryan said. "She's gonna hold a meeting tomorrow, so we won't be in trouble till then."

"...And when does she expect us to leave?"

"Couple days, tops."

"What?"

"And that's only because we haven't told her about Ronan yet." Elesis looked crushed, even her stubby ponytail at the back drooped slightly. It seemed that she and the Dancer had made up, as Amy encircled an arm around the redhead's shoulder in a consoling manner, which Elesis didn't shake off.

"We, the Grand Chase, never surrender. As an Oracle, I can guarantee that we'll save Ronan and kick some Evil Witch butt." The mood lifted a bit, as most of them cracked a smile at the Dancer's words.

"We don't even know what she's doing to him right now or where he is." Arme interjected.

"I can tell you where she is." Lass spoke. "She's in her castle, back in Ellia. I don' remember the details, but I can take you there."

"That's a start."

"And there's a way to find out what happened to Ronan."

Every head turned towards Lire, Elesis with eager eyes. "How?" Even Ryan looked startled.

"You know how to scry? Even the most powerful elves I know have trouble with that, damn..."

"No Ryan, I cannot." Her lips formed a careful smile. "But there is someone that can." Raising her voice by a modicum, she called, "Saku."

The room glowed as a cluster of delicate pink flower petals issued from Lire's blooming flower, morphing into the pink humanoid creature Lass saw before. He noted with faint annoyance that it was adding every kind of grandeur and flourish to its entrance this time, probably to impress them.

"This is Saku, Spirit of the Cherry Tree." Lire introduced.

"She's so cute!" Arme squealed.

"But what's it got to do with anything?" Lass shot out, earning another dirty glare from the spirit.

"She," Lire clarified, "is the spirit of a two-thousand-year-old cherry tree, so apart from knowing her respective magic, Sakura blossoms are hers to control. Before Ronan was captured, she unleashed several petals towards him, and one slipped in his pocket."

Elesis lost patience. "How's that supposed to help us?"

Ryan filled in helpfully, "You know when they say 'Look out, Mother Nature can see you with her many eyes?' Yeah, it's kind of like that; nature spirits can scatter themselves and see multiple places…I mean, they can…do whatever, as long as it's their plant, or flower…what?" He trailed off, confused as to what exactly he was saying.

"Sakura blossoms are, in short, an extension of her body. She can see through her petals to Ronan." Lire finished.

Elesis stood from her seat, eyes shining with hope. "So what's happening to him now?" She turned excitedly towards the spirit, who then turned and whispered urgently towards Lire.

"She says she can't see much from his pocket, but she's hearing things." Lire translated. Ryan also stood up, wanting to hear Saku. "She's…talking to him. Something about…the great plan. A sacrifice?"

Hope, which flared around them a moment before, was now replaced with anxious tension. Both elves were now the centre of undivided attention, but neither took notice as they listened to Saku, their eyes getting wider with each whisper.

When they finally looked up, their facial expressions were anything but relieved.

"What? What happened? Tell me!"

"There's still much we don't know, Saku's been around elves and animals, not humans, so she doesn't know much English. But…"

"But what?!"

"The Dark Witch is pissed, really pissed." Ryan said, his usually cheerful face grim. "She thought she grabbed Lass…"

"But she didn't, and she's going to wait for _ssan ilesth sahm afi jiurodya siuem itl!_" Caught up in stress, Lire had accidentally switched to Elven, earning bewildered stares from everyone.

Elven dialect was not one of Ryan's finer points, but he managed to translate the basics. "She means 'she's going to use Ronan as bait, to lure us in.' She's gonna keep him alive for exactly three days. And after that…"

"Someone's coming up the stairs." Lass warned, ceasing all conversation. Sure enough, someone was coming towards their lounge, the familiar clack of boots telling them all too well who it was. Before anyone could move, Knight Master knocked on their door. "Is everyone in there?"

"Hide, hide!" Arme yelped frantically.

"Um, no, most of us are, still recovering." Ryan loudly called out, giving a few dry coughs for accentuation. "We were just, um…"

"…discussing future battle tactics." Jin cut in.

"Very well, continue. Are your injuries severe? Shall I call for healers?"

"No, no, we'll all be fine by tomorrow." Amy ad-libbed.

"Good. I am just informing you of the conference tomorrow morning at nine a.m. sharp. I expect each of you to be there promptly. Sleep well, Chasers. Do you need anything else?"

"No, ma'am!"

"Splendid, enjoy your evening."

Even though they heard walking away, they huddled closer together and began to speak in whispers.

"Okay, unless we can bribe a soldier to act as Ronan, we're screwed!"

"Idiot, we can't use an imposter. How many men have blue hair?"

"We can use wigs, maybe. Jin's tall enough, he can pull it off. I'll act as Jin–"

"Yeah! All you have to do is wave around your sword and blabber on about justice and saving the world–"

"Can it." Elesis snapped. "Knight Master knows us too well, she'll see right through any disguise."

"Does anyone have any other ideas?"

"We leave." Lass spoke up. The rest stared as if he'd grown a third eye.

"What do you mean?"

"How much time does Ronan have left? Three days, right?" Lire and Ryan nodded in grim affirmation. "Staying here and trying to stall is only going to waste time, and what he's going through…I know better than any of you. We have to get out of here, fast."

"B-but Knight Master won't let us…"

"Then we sneak out."

* * *

"…and that's how we'll leave. Everyone got that?" They nodded, others more nervously.

"Then everyone go, pretend everything's normal. Everyone has their weapons and keys?"

Lass had been feeling ill at ease for some time now, and as soon as Elesis asked that question, he realized why; his daggers were gone. All he had were kunai and a length of black chain from _her_. He decided to keep that to himself for the time being–

"Lass, weren't your daggers taken?" Ryan asked.

"…er."

"You do know that you need an official permit to get another weapon from the weapons storage room, right?"

"Maybe you can use one of ours." Lire suggested helpfully.

Lass felt a bit dubious, but he nodded. After all, how bad could it be?

…

"This doesn't…seem…too bad…"

"…Lass you can put the axe back down. Your legs are shaking."

**_WHUMP!_**

" #$$%&! My foot!"

…

"So you pull back the string, aim, and then release."

"Why can't you just throw it with your hands?"

"Because I can't throw. Come on, give it a try."

"Okay."

"Ackk! No! Not at the lamp! _Not at the lamp!_"

…

"No." He hissed. "I absolutely refuse."

"It's not that bad, you know. If you won't try, I'll tell everyone what exactly happened at the last duel." She grinned devilishly.

He glared, but he took up the Muse's violin.

"You do it like this. Yeah, hold it like that. Now play it."

**_SKREEEEE–_**

"Augh! Stop it! Stop it!"

* * *

"…Well."

'Well' didn't really cover it; most of them were now collapsed on sofas and cushions, having suffered ample casualties, including an injured foot, a painful ringing in the ears, and a smashed lantern. Saku had also disappeared back into her flower a long time ago, knowing full well the foolishness of humans.

"Wait...what's that?" Lass pointed to two weapons hanging on the wall, their arched blades flashing without a speck of grime or rust.

"Swords, I think." Elesis said sarcastically.

He grasped out and touched one of the hilts. It was smooth, and light enough for him to carry around. Before he knew it, he grasped and swung it around in a deadly arc, the blade slicing cleanly through the air. It felt right in his hand, like an extension of his arm.

"Looks like you found your weapon, Lass."

He looked down at the sword in triumph; Kaze'Aze certainly would be surprised that he had found a new sword, one that he could wield effortlessly. He gave it a couple of swings, which the blade delivered smoothly.

But something was still missing...what was his left hand supposed to do...the clink of metal in his side pocket gave him the answer: the chains! He pulled them as they coiled out like a snake, then abruptly jerked it to the nearest armchair (which was fortunately unoccupied), wrapping it in the black metal and drawing it towards him, then used his blade to slice it into pieces.

"This is just the thing." Lass looked up. "Can I keep this?"

"It's like the thing was designed for you, man." Ryan gaped.

Elesis reclined on her seat, inwardly grateful that she had not chosen to sit on that chair. "As soon as you clean that up."

"I think those swords are called...Sci...Psy...Scimitars!" Arme clapped her hands. "People don't usually use them in battle..."

"...because humans typically use them for murdering other humans, the curved end giving the extra strength to slice off one's head." Always full of knowledge, Lire answered calmly, unaware to the appalled looks she received.

Instead of feeling horror from her words, Lass only felt empowered. He'd use his freedom to atone for every crime and murder he'd made under her influence. He was now an Assassin; he always had been, but now it was by his own choice, of his free will. And he already knew who his first target would be.

"So, at nightfall?"

"Yep. All of you get some rest. You'll need it."

They all nodded in unanimous assent and then parted, Lass staying to clean up the mess.

All who encountered one or more of the Chase found him or her in happy spirits, gaily encouraging others to retain their hope with oaths of bringing down Kaze'Aze's demise and restoring Bermesiah. They trained, helped fellow soldiers, trained, caught up on local news, and trained even more.

"Is Ronan that grievously injured? Shall I check upon him?" Knight Master frowned slightly over the dinner table.

"He is resting now, ma'am. I don't think that he should be disturbed at least for the night." Jin quickly replied as he ate his rice.

"I don't think she's buying it." Elesis grumbled as soon as she left, gnawing on her pork chops.

"She won't 'buy' anything by tomorrow morning."

"Eat your stew."

Apart from fragments of banter that quickly died out, the meal was a silent one as they stuffed down whatever food they could. With Ronan gone, not much was said, and even Elesis pushed her plate away after a little while. They quietly left, seemingly retiring for bed.

Lass also got up, his silver hair falling over his face. As he also made to go, Lire touched his shoulder.

"Hm?"

"You should tie your hair. Doesn't it bother you?"

Whatever he was expecting her to say, it certainly wasn't that. "What? Er, no."

"You have nice blue eyes, and your hair's covering them." She gently brushed some of his hair away, revealing his icy-blue eyes.

As she touched his hair, Lass suddenly felt queer all over. It was strange, but not uncomfortable as she finally smiled and patted his head.

"We're here for you, Lass." Then she left.

Afterwards, he took note that he did not cringe from her hand; her touch no longer seemed threatening.

And it was a fact that the assassin did not find himself displeased with as he tried to settle down his sudden erratic nerves.

* * *

Finally, night came. There was only a tiny sliver of moonlight pinned onto the black sky as Lass looked out his window. His meager number of possessions was packed; a small knapsack with the essentials, kunai in his pocket, chain on the other, and his scimitar strapped to the belt of his new clothes that the Knight Master had supplied his closet with. She had evaluated him as a "ninja", a word he was unfamiliar with, and had stocked his wardrobe with "ninja"-like clothing. Disposing of his former ragged attire, he chose the one that suited him the most; a completely black set with hidden pockets inside.

The long hand of the wall clock reached the 12 at last. Throwing a blue scarf over his neck, he looked around his room one last time before he jumped out the window.

As he accelerated towards the ground, he used his feet to push off the wall, gaining extra momentum to rocket sideways towards a tree, which he grabbed one of the branches and swung forwards, landing onto the earth without a scratch.

"Lass!" A harsh whisper came from the corner. "Come on!"

Without a word, he quickly skittered towards the direction of Ryan's voice, effectively blending into the shadows as he did. As he turned a corner of the castle, he saw everyone in traveling gear, but some of them now had completely different weapons. Amy now had her violin instead of the donut-holed hoops (something Lass considered an improvement), Ryan his Jade Hook, Lire a pair of crossbows, and Jin a…stick. A very long stick.

His musings were disrupted when a loud scream came from one of the windows above, followed by a clomping of hurried feet. Soon enough, Elesis and Arme came scuttling out, panting hard as they ran. "Run!" they shouted.

"What?!"

"_Run!_" Sure enough, alarms began to blare as a crowd of soldiers were coming their way, yelling, "Halt, thieves!"

Elesis was not known for being quiet; she had tripped one of the alarms as she made her way down, and panicked, she swung her blade at the alarm, but accidentally smashed the sprinklers, which naturally raised even _more_ alarms. Arme had screamed because she thought the castle caught fire, and although the soldiers of Serdin Castle weren't as adept as the Chasers, even they had the ears to hear such a ruckus.

So now they were running for their lives as more and more bells began to toll, and they kept running until they reached a wall.

"We've got you surrounded, villains! Drop your weapons and surrender!" The captain of the guard boomed.

"Anyone got a plan?" Elesis frantically whispered as the guards came closer.

"Let me see…" Arme began rummaging through one of her bags, taking out something small and round, hurling it at the men, all of whom scattered. Boom!

"Smoke bomb." She grinned. "Now, stand back." She straightened up, revealing a small pot in her hand, "_Blockbuster Explosion!_"

**BANG!**

"Never underestimate a Combat Alchemist." She smiled victoriously as the smoke cleared, revealing a large, gaping fissure in the castle wall.

"Yeah yeah, we get it, now move!"

"What about the wall?" Amy half-wailed as they slipped through, one by one. "We destroyed half the castle! She'll be furious!"

"It's all right, Amy." Lire urgently pressed the Dancer through the hole. "If a broken wall is the only casualty that comes out of this, the gods themselves would be fighting with us."

* * *

Oh dear, I'm re-lapsing into the habit of extending my chapters with each chapter. Shoot!  
I absolutely fail with fluff (OTL), but no matter. I'll survive, hopefully.


	13. Re-visiting

"Didn't we say that we were going to _sneak_ out?" Lass asked as he ran, his blue scarf trailing behind him.

The Grand Chase, the greatest warriors of Bermesiah, were now running like fugitives with their satchels and weapons as the shouts of the Serdin soldiers grew fainter behind them. Elesis was running surprisingly fast for a person holding a fat, giant sword as Arme's pot clinked against her belt.

"Yes, we_ said_." Arme muttered as she glowered at Elesis. "Then this giant red dinosaur thought it was necessary to clomp around and bust a few alarms on our way out. Funny how things work."

"Shaddup." The dinosaur shot back, "I wasn't the one that screamed like a little girl just because of a few sprinklers."

"I _am_ a little girl!"

"Yeah…with that height, I suppose you can pass as one."

"Why, you–"

"Wait, what's the plan?"

They all skidded to a stop at the question. The plan they discussed in the lounge only went so far as to escape from the castle.

"Simple; we run, grab a boat to Ellia across Partusay's Sea, and then go to our last lead, the Temple of Fire. That was the closest we got till we had to go back. We can't stop for idle chat now, so move on."

"And how long will this take?"

"We don't have time for this." Elesis snapped in frustration.

"Let's see…" Jin unrolled a map, screening the contents. "It will take a good two days to reach the port of Bermesiah, at least half a day to sail to Ellia, and another few days to get to the Temple and track down Kaze'Aze. Unless she changes her mind to finish him off sooner, we have less than three days to rescue Ronan."

The Chase lapsed into stark silence as they listened.

"And that's if we go without any sleep, food, or fighting monsters." Jin rolled the parchment back into place.

"Then we get there without sleep, food, or fighting monsters." Elesis scowled.

"What do you think we are? Machines?"

"Stop fighting, both of you." Lire said with a slight edge to her voice. She looked more tired than anyone else. "We need a plan."

"A plan for what? To teleport all of us right to Kaze'Aze's Castle? Great, I'm listening." Elesis said sarcastically.

"That's it!" Ryan smacked his fist into his palm. "Let's teleport!"

Arme looked nervous. "Um, teleporting takes a lot of magic, and I can barely teleport from a room to the garden, let alone seven people to a different continent."

"But Arme, did you say that the Violet Guild was somewhere in Serdin? Maybe we can ask the mages there?" The rest looked on hopefully.

"Yeah…it's near here in Ranada Forest…I can ask. We just have to go south."

"Thank you Arme!" Elesis suddenly tackled Arme in a hug, while the purple mage looked stunned, then grinned. "You reeeaalllly like Ronan, don't you?"

"Hmph!"

"So where's the south?"

"Erm…"

"That way." Ryan and Lire pointed towards the direction and headed off, the rest trailing behind with newfound hope.

"How do they know these things?" Amy whispered.

Jin shrugged. "They've lived among nature, so it must be an elf thing."

* * *

"Hello, Arme." A wizened old man with a beard and robe Dumbledore-style was standing at the gates that lead to the Guild.

As it turned out, Ranada Forest was south-_east_ of Serdin Castle, and it took what seemed an endless amount of time to find the building. It was a big enough place, but the simple grace of the structure blended right into the wooded area. A simple fence with an elaborately carved gate seemed all the defence they had, but it was the guild of mages, and looks could be quite deceiving.

"I have been expecting you for some time now."

"Grandfather!" Arme launched herself into the older man's arms, laughing gleefully as he chuckled and embraced the younger girl. "I have missed you!"

"And I too." He gently set her on the ground. "Will you not introduce me to your friends?"

"Oh!" She turned and blushed, embarrassed. "This is Elesis, Lire, Jin, Amy, Lass, and Ryan. There's one more, but…"

"Kaze'Aze kidnapped him. Can you help us?"

The old man's eyebrows wrinkled the tiniest bit. "That is no simple matter. Come in, and let us discuss." He waved his hand towards the gates, which immediately swung open without a squeak.

"But–" Elesis started to object.

Arme kicked the Knight in the shins, glaring heatedly. She looked affronted, but shut her mouth and entered through the gateway; being rude to Arme's grandfather wouldn't do much good anyway.

Arme's grandfather led the Chase through the hallway and into a grand room that looked like a chapel, where a group of people, most of them elderly, were gathered in a huddle.

"My peers, the Grand Chase have requested our help." He announced, causing all heads to look up and turn, curiosity morphing into thunderstruck awe.

"You jest, Head Mage." A bald man with a stubby brown beard rumbled. "We are aware that the Grand Chase is the legendary group of experienced heroes that are skilled in combat, destined to restore peace and life to the world. These," He glanced towards them with poorly hidden distaste, "are not who we are expecting."

"If you insist on waiting for another group, I fear you will be waiting for a long time."

"Then…y-you cannot be serious!" he spluttered, eyes widening in shock as he jabbed a finger towards the Chase. "They are just children!" Most of the mages nodded in agreement.

"They are young, but they have proved to the Queen that they are worthy of accomplish their task. Even the Knight Master has deemed them praiseworthy. Will you go against their word?"

"The strife must be making them go mad." his companion muttered. "If they are creating groups of infants to become fighters, I doubt that we should take them seriously."

"You are deriding the group that my granddaughter is a part of." the Head Mage said the warning in the disguise of information, and the said 'infants' didn't look too happy, either.

"Tchah!" But Baldy Mage silently retreated, realising that he had said enough.

Another mage, this time an elderly female with curled pink hair stepped forward, her expression serious. "The Head Mage has a remarkable judgement of character, and as it is, it is our duty of uphold the guild by honouring his decisions. So, Grand Chase," she turned to them with unblinking eyes, "What magic is it that you wish for us to perform?"

Sensing Elesis's fury threatening to blow off her top, Arme stepped forward. "Can you teleport us directly to Kaze'Aze's lair?"

Baldy snorted quietly. "If we had that ability, we would have already sent hordes of soldiers directly there to finish her off."

His companion softened his words. "Kaze'Aze has protective and offensive wards of her own, layering it with magic as well as other dungeons. It would take more than all our power combined to overcome even one of the wards. But I sense that her main weaponry factory has been eliminated. Was that your doing…?" When they nodded, she looked impressed. "Well, since her magic has been dismantled there, that's the closest place we can teleport you to."

"Thank you."

"No, we should thank you for the great service you are doing us all. Please, come this way." With a swish of her cloak, she stepped briskly down the steps, snapping her fingers as five more mages dispersed from the crowd, meekly following her. The Head Mage nodded towards the Chase, indicating that they should follow.

Mercifully, Elesis waited until they were out of the chapel-room to start her rant. "What's Baldy's problem?" she griped savagely. "treating us like kids…what's he been doing, lounging around in his safe little bubble while we do all the work!"

"I am sorry you had to endure that, Honourable Knight. He is one of few that cling to the assumption that all worthy warriors are old and skilled."

"But we _are _skilled! We defeated monsters, trolls, and–"

"Which he has yet to see. Please be patient with us, for some are a tad stressed with our duties." They went into another room, which had a brown circular tile in the middle with a pentagram engraved upon it along with many elaborate symbols. It was not unlike the one Lass had stepped on for his first test, except this time, it was much, much bigger, large enough for at least twenty people to stand on.

"A word before you leave…" Arme's grandfather said as they stepped onto the brown pentagram. "What you are about to face is not like any other dark force you have faced. She will undoubtedly tempt you…fool you…to manipulate your very soul." His calm face carefully scanned each and every one of their faces.

"Grandfather, I…" Arme trailed off, looking anxious.

"Stay strong…all of you." His tender eyes rested on his beloved granddaughter for a brief moment. "Face the darkness within yourself before facing any other. Believe in the light."

He scrutinized each of their faces once more, perhaps a millisecond too long on Lass, who squirmed uncomfortably. He shook his head, his hair acting as a barrier from those piercing, searching eyes.

"Good luck." The light painfully seared into Lass's eyes as they triggered the transport and their surroundings vanished.

* * *

"…Guess no one decided to clean this place up, huh?"

"It _was_ a weaponry factory. We pretty much ravaged the entire place last time. At any rate, it's not going to attract any monsters." Jin yawned and stretched, taking out his Chamma and using it as a cane. "Can we set up camp here?"

"Yes! Let's!" Amy nodded fiercely in agreement. "I'm so tired…"

"Ronan's going through some sick plan that bitch made, and all you guys can think of is sleep?" Elesis glowered.

Amy's face slipped into a pout, but nonetheless took up her packs and walked on. All of them were really tired, but no one dared complain as they walked, hoping that Ronan was okay.

On the other hand, they had trained quite thoroughly in the Castle Combat Zone, and the ruins of the Temple of Fire did take up quite a large amount of space. By the time they reached the edge, Jin was half-carrying Amy, who was continually dozing off, and even Elesis's eyes were starting to droop. While their willpower was truly admirable, their bodies had limits.

"Elesis, please, let's set camp here." Arme practically begged. "Even you can't go much longer."

"N-no…have to…save Ronan…"

"If we go to Kaze'Aze as we are now, she'll pick us out like flies." Lass helpfully informed.

"Elesis. Please."

"Mmph…fine…" They walked (actually, most of them stumbled) over to a nearby forest that provided more than enough cover to spend the night.

Fatigue and lack of light hindered their hands as they set up camp; their tents looked like a lump of fur supported by sticks, and it took several tries to get it into a workable position. Certain that there were no monsters for the present, a fire was lit, bedrolls were unfurled, and eyes closed as sleep washed over them.

"I'll take first watch, don't worry. No, I feel fine. Yes yes, I'll wake you guys up if monsters attack us. Rest up for tomorrow, you need it. We'll recue Ronan for sure, Elesis." she smiled slightly. "You don't think we're too weak for it, do you?"

"Of…course…not….thanks, Lire…zzzzz."

The elf gently brushed the Red Knight's bangs from her eyes as she tucked her in, and then sat on a nearby log as she threw more sticks to the fire, watching the flames devour the timber. She drew her scarf tightly around her poking the fire with a long, straight branch.

"Saku?" Once again the flower spirit materialized from her flower, arms crossed with a disapproving frown.

"_You overstrain yourself too much. It is not good."_

"_I am fine. The one we should be most concerned about is our friend in the Dark Castle."_

"_He is in no better condition than you; he is inert. Asleep, or perhaps lapsed in an impermanent coma. But I feel his pulse."_

Lire breathed a sigh of relief as she continued to poke the fire.

"_You are not seriously intending to travel with these humans all the way through?"_

"_We formed a brief alliance; as long as the elves' and humans' goals overlap, we stand as allies."_

"_The elves have always been secluded, and wisely so. I have witnessed more than enough of the destruction of my brothers and sisters at the hands of humans, their bodies used for cheap luxuries of no real use."_

"_Not all humans are like that…some humans have pure hearts and outstanding courage."_ Lire defended her friends.

"You aren't sleeping?" A figure materialized behind her, revealing the assassin.

"_I will withdraw for now."_ With a sniff, she disappeared.

"I could ask you the same thing. I'm taking first watch; you can sleep. Saku was just telling me that Ronan is okay for now."

At her last words, Lass visibly relaxed. "Not tired."

Lire smiled. "Company is always welcome. Sit?" She patted the space next to her, just like back in the garden.

"It's okay." He leaned against a tree and looked around; everyone was completely asleep. He felt so silly, but he had to ask her. "…Lire?"

"Hm?"

"You know I was possessed by her…right?"

"By her you mean the one we are going to slay? Yes, I am aware."

"Yeah…aren't you bothered by it?"

She turned to him, eyebrows crinkled in confusion. "Do you want me to be bothered by it? I can try it if you wish."

"No." He said a little too quickly. He looked into the elf's green eyes, which were shining with genuine warmth.

"You can choose to listen or not, but you are not so monstrous as you think you are."

Lass shrugged. No matter how many times people said that, it was going to take a while to actually believe it.

"Was it a monster, then, who has sworn to right his wrongs by joining the Chase and try to make everything right?" she pointed to the pink flowers still fastened to her hair. "Do you think a monster could have picked this flower for me?"

"It could be…just an elaborate scheme…?" Even to himself Lass didn't sound very convincing.

Her eyes narrowed, "Very funny." She jabbed her poking stick towards the Assassin, who nimbly stepped out of the way.

"See? A monster can't dodge that fast, either." She grinned.

Lass gave up; it was absolutely impossible to feel guilty around this girl. She'd never once considered him an abomination, and probably never would. She treated every one of the Chasers with the same loving kindness (even if some of them thought it annoying like Elesis.), and it was no different with him, too.

Again, he did not mind this, indicated by the small smile that somehow found its way on his face.

"Hm…Lass."

"Yes?"

"Would you like to play a game?"

"A game?"

"It's okay if you don't want to." She said quickly. "You must be tired, get some rest."

"I'm fine. What is this game?"

"Human children play this often; it is called 'Tag', I believe. We elves have a similar play, called _Jiabass Baran,_ or 'Catch the Flying Wind Spirit'. A person is the Wind Spirit, and the others have to capture her."

If Lass had a childhood with such games, he had no memory. "I don't understand. I have never done these things before."

"It doesn't matter." She got up and stretched out her hand. "Here, touch it."

Uncertainly, Lass lightly touched her palm.

"You're supposed to slap it, but it'll do." She giggled. "Now I'm the Wind Spirit."

"Now you have to catch me." She took a step back.

Inwardly, Lass thought it quite a ridiculous game; he could catch anyone with his speed. But he somehow liked seeing Lire happy, and he had a hunch that she wouldn't be happy if he declined. "Okay."

"Myrielle was the only one that could ever catch me back at Eryuell." She giggled once more before darting into the forest.

Lass blinked a couple of times, and then dashed into the forest to catch the Wind Spirit.

It didn't take long to realize that Lire would be harder to catch than the Assassin had originally thought. She twisted and turned through the forest as if she had lived in it all her life, twisting through the smallest gaps and jumping on the thinnest branches with little sound. Just when he thought he caught her, she slipped away yet again through some miniscule loophole that he hadn't seen before.

"Lass, you'll have to try a bit harder~" Her voice echoed through the trees as she jumped through the air and landed on a boulder. She really did move like the wind.

But Lass also had a few tricks up his sleeve. He blended into the forest's shadows, becoming one with the surrounding darkness. However, he still had to move extremely silently, careful not to make the slightest noise; her ears twitched as she looked around for him.

Lire, who was now perched upon the branch of a large oak tree, looked around for any signs of the Assassin. The leaves rustled behind her; she jumped a second too late. She felt two arms wrapping around her as she lost balance and slipped off the branch, rocketing towards the ground. She would have screamed, but her stomach had lodged somewhere in her throat.

Sensing that Lire was not going to fight back, Lass got a good grip on her with one hand, then lashed out his chain, which shot out of his pocket like a cannon and winded itself twice around a skinny bough, slowing their momentum. He held onto it, bringing them both to a stop as they dangled a few feet from the ground.

Lass felt exhilarated; he could not remember the last time he felt so free as he ran through the foliage, the wind whipping against his body. He held the elf closer lest they should slip and fall, noticing that her body had gone completely stiff.

"…Did I win?"

"You caught me, so yes, you did." Lire said faintly. Then she started to laugh, first quietly, then so loudly that it echoed off the forests.

"Are you okay?" Lass asked, worried; he had never heard Lire laugh like this before.

"Of course, I am happy." she wiped her eyes. "I have always wanted to play that game since I left Eryuelle. But people here are not adept in running through the forest, and the Chase…well, they are always so busy." She turned to Lass. "I haven't had this much fun in a long time. Thank you."

Lass felt his face heat up. "I-it's fine. I had fun, too."

She positively beamed, then looked around. "So, how do we get down?" They were still suspended from the tree like a couple of apples.

"We can use the chain to–" _Snap!_

_Next time_, Lass thought to himself, _I should tie the chain onto a thicker branch._ Luckily, the fall wasn't deep as he landed onto the ground with an impact that…didn't feel as it should. The ground wasn't this soft, was it?

"Lass, you're very light, but I'd still appreciate if you got off me…"

"Huh?" He looked down. "Oh." He was on top of Lire, who was just as flushed as him. "Sorry…"

"What's this?" Ryan suddenly strolled into the scene, wearing the most priceless look on his face. The poor Druid had woken up to take a midnight piss and was just about to unzip his pants when he had heard a peculiar sound and decided to investigate.

Lire flustered as she tried to maintain her composure. "We were just–"

"It was nothing." Lass quickly got up, brushing imaginary dust off his clothes. He then took off back towards camp as he tried to calm himself, leaving the two elves in a very awkward situation.

"Wow, what did you guys do?"

Lire sighed, reverting back into her warm, calm self. "Nothing you have in mind, Ryan."

* * *

So, the last part was my attempt at fluff, that is, if it can be identified as one. Please pardon my lack of skill...I write things based on personal experience.  
Speaking of which, I'm going to take a little break for now; something's happened at home and stuff. Sorry!

And sorry for any grammatical mistakes, unrealistic plots, character butchering, and anything like that. Purely accidental here, folks! (Remember, I'm still a newbie writer xD)


	14. Repeating

After Lire told Ryan the real story (once he had relieved himself), he let out a deep breath. "Guy's a handful, isn't he?"

"Ryan." She chastised lightly.

"Yeah, okay. I think he has the hots for you!" He grinned.

"He does not have the 'hots' for me, Ryan."

"Oho~ are you blushing, Lire? How very uncharacteristic of you." He leaned back on the grassy ground, smiling knowingly. Being the two elves of the Chase, the two had a special bond of friendship that went beyond 'nature-loving' and 'plant-watering.'

"He's just so…broken. I can still sense darkness from him, and I want to heal him." Lire attempted to will her face to return to its normal colour.

"Mhm. Of course I'm talking about that, not the way you two hung out in two different forests, wrecked your garden, and what else did Saku tell me? He gave you a _flower?_ Look at the signs, Lire! He's in l-o-v-e!"

"He's been controlled by a demented witch that also kidnapped his friend. He was being kind, and even if it was, he does not need this 'love' on top of that mess. Humans use that word too often as if it is worth less than dirt." She quickly changed topic, gazing at Ryan with an unusually playful look. "What about Arme? How is she?"

"Arme? She's sleeping now. But she looks fine to me."

"Don't play dumb. Let me see…what was the word you used...Yes, I believe you have the 'hots' for her, am I right?" Ryan did not immediately respond, but the reddening of his face gave her his answer.

"Don't tell the others!"

"Do you think I will?" She grinned, then became serious as the wave of mirth subsided. "Of course I won't."

Ryan looked up, suddenly looking timid. "You don't think it's weird? A human and elf…I mean…"

She shrugged, "I don't see anything wrong with it." Involuntarily yawning, she stood up.

"Go sleep, I'll take watch." Ignoring her half-hearted objections, the Druid practically dragged her back to camp, smiling like an idiot.

And being the sneaky eavesdropper he was, Lass was standing high above one of the trees, having picked up every word of the elves' conversation. They were very friendly with one another, he could tell; he rarely saw her laugh and talk like that instead of the usual affable composure she showed to soothe everyone's conflicts. A flash of satisfaction crossed his mind at the thought of him being able to see beyond the calm side, followed by a bitter aftertaste at the fact that Ryan could see that, too. Suddenly uncomfortable, he headed back towards camp, swinging over the trees.

Being a master in blending into the shadows with his speed, he reached the campfire in no time, sitting on the log while he tried to calm himself. Only then did he begin to berate himself: Stupid! Stupid! Why did I run away like that? And as to why his whole body felt so hyperactive he had no idea, he knew that it happened often around Lire. Perhaps she was also a sorceress, bewitching him?

As soon as he thought that, he admonished himself for thinking such a bizarre thought. She, all of them, had made him feel welcome to the Grand Chase. But what was this he felt...He viciously poked the embers in the fire with Lire's stick. He stared at the fire, as if hoping that it would give him some answers. When it did not, he threw the stick into the fire and climbed up a tree, lying down on a sturdy branch. It wasn't comfortable, but Lass preferred it to the beds back in the castle; those things were like quicksand. Reclining onto the bark, Lass reflected quietly over the situation, trying to recover his scrambled thoughts. It had been a gruelling journey, but his thoughts weren't going to let him sleep at all. A nightingale sang its mournful tune on a nearby branch.

The last thought that clung onto his mind before his eyes finally closed was: What was this 'hots' that Ryan kept talking about?

As Ryan tended to the fire, he looked sideways at Lire, who was sleeping soundly, her back leaning against a tree. Silly elf; there was no need to remain so serene and mature all the time, Most of her composure was in her nature, but it wouldn't hurt to squabble with the others like a human from time to time…not that she ever would. Her role as pacifist was a role she accepted gladly to preserve the peace.

"Silly Lire." He smiled wistfully into the night sky, where the stars seemed to be whispering to each other.

…

As a Silver Knight, Jin always woke up at dawn's first light; that was a basic rule. Stretching his limbs, he took out his Chamma and gave it a few swings. The others were fast asleep, but that was just as well; they would need the rest. After catering to his hygienic needs and exercising his body with a few meditation techniques, he began to pack his bags. He kicked some dirt over the remains of the fire so as not to leave any signs that they had been there before he sat on a wide tree stump, watching the sunrise. Everything should be fine until–

"Hey~ Jin?"

"Good morning, Amy." Jin did not turn from the rising sun, enjoying the beauty. He was, however, quite pleasantly surprised when the Muse plopped down next to him. "The sun is so pretty…"

"Yes. I remember waking up every day to watch it rise back when I was still a Silver Knight."

"Me too..." For a while, the two gazed in silence.

"Jin?"

"Yes?"

"Do you like being part of the Grand Chase?"

"Of course I do." He turned to face her. "But I can't forget who I once was. I'm a Grand Chaser now, but I'll still always be Silver Knight because it's part of who I am."

"That's true. I mean, I feel like I'm still Silver Land's Dancer and Oracle." Amy nodded. "Do you remember the song I once sang for you guys?"

As a matter of fact, Jin did remember. She usually danced to boost morale, but one evening she sang a beautiful song of that mesmerized even the nearby Ents and Locusts. Usually her dances were so cheerful and bubbly, but the tune she had sung that evening was beautiful yet melancholy that soothed everyone's hearts that was ravaged with warfare and grief. It had suited that twilight perfectly; it was the night before the betrayal of Victor that led to the massacre of his brothers. But Jin didn't tell her that.

"Yeah…can you sing that again?"

Silently nodding, she took up her violin, and after giving it a few plucks to tune it perfectly, she began to sing with her violin.

_Somehow I believe that through the shadows  
The wings of peace will take to the air  
And spread its feathers of hope  
Filling our world with beauty again._

_But we're still in the tunnel  
Where darkness is all around us  
Tomorrow's sunset will be coloured with blood  
How many will stand tomorrow? _

_Don't separate far from me  
Please don't leave me alone  
Because we will fly through the tunnel  
And bathe in morning's first light again~_

Singing the last part twice, she ceased to sing, and then looked towards the Silver Knight. His eyes indicated that he was immersed in the past, reliving that fateful day. Truth to tell, even she didn't know how the song had come to her lips; she sang cheerful songs because that was what her fans usually wanted. After all, she was there to empower their spirits, not discourage them with sadness and her own worries. Perhaps the Gods had used their Oracle to warn the Silver Knights of their inevitable tragedy through her song, but one could never tell with the corrupting deities.

"Are you okay? Did I– oh!" She squeaked in surprise as Jin enveloped her in a bear-hug, the Asura suddenly looking very vulnerable.

"Thank you." He murmured softly, and Amy wrapped her arms around him as well, her heart suddenly running a marathon. Maybe she should tell him now, while there was still time.

"Jin, I–"

"Man, I'm tired…" Ryan groggily stretched up, rubbing his eyes. He stood up, blinking a few times to take in the scene. "What the…?"

Amy swiftly let go of the Fighter, doing a rerun of Lass and Lire. "I-it's nothing!"

"What? But it certainly didn't look like nothing…" The Druid never got to finish his sentence as he was hurled into a tree by a pink orb that had flown from the Muse's violin. _Wham!_

Flustered, Amy scuttled away, leaving two boys in a very awkward situation.

"Why does this always happen to me?" Ryan grumbled, rubbing his sore head as he went to wake the others.

…

"All right, team!" Elesis yelled as they munched on their food, "Chow down while you can, because we're going to set off really soon!"

"What _is _this?"

"Er…think of it as…apple pie."

"It's burnt apple on toast. Eww, mine even has a dead worm in it!"

"That's apple pie!"

"Yeah, and next you'll sprinkle sugar on wheat and say it's cake!"

"I did my best!" Arme pouted. "If you're not going to eat it, then don't!"

"Can't you just teleport food from somewhere?"

"What, and leave some other poor family without their breakfast?"

"You call this a _breakfast?_"

While the hotheads squabbled, the others calmly ate their 'apple pie' without complaint so as not to hurt the mage's feelings, stuffing it down as well as they could.

As they were packing, Lass quietly sidled next to Lire, who had just redone her ponytail. "Lire?"

"Ah, Lass. Don't worry about last night, Ryan was just being silly." She smiled; she seemed completely calm.

"It's not just that. I…um…didn't mean to fall on you." He seemed extremely nervous, so unlike the stoic persona he had initially adopted.

"Is that what you were worried about?" She giggled, ruffling his hair. "Silly boy, that was an accident. No harm done. If you want, I'll fall on you next time to make it even."

"What? No! That's not it…" Lass looked up to realize that Lire was joking with him.

"Let's play some other time. Do you want to help me with these bags?" Her eyes twinkled slightly, and Lass quickly complied, never stopping to realize that Lire knew he had been eavesdropping on her and Ryan.

…

"Elesis, for the last time, please switch to your normal sword."

"No!" She clutched resolutely to her Giant Sword. "Her Majesty the Queen herself has presented this sword to me along with the honour of a Sword Master! Like Hell I'll switch to anything else!"

"But it's only going to slow us down, and we don't have much time." Thinking quickly, Arme deployed the ultimate weapon, "How are we going to rescue Ronan with this?"

It worked. Grumbling, she took out a small golden key in her pocket, tossing it into the air. Both the key and Giant Sword began to shimmer, dissolving in a puff of white light. In less than a second, the key was back in Elesis's pocket, her fingers wrapped around the hilt of her first sword, its blade gleaming in the sunlight.

"It's called a Skill Key." Lire explained to Lass. "It allows you to switch between your different weapons."

"My grandfather invented it." Arme said, the pride unmistakable in her voice. "But it only works if you've truly bonded with your weapons, because you're using the key to summon the weapon to your aid, and you have to bend the Hammerspace components to your will, like Lire with her arrows! And the quantum problem with the–"

_**IIIRRRRYEAHHHHRR!***_

"Looks like someone had too much 'apple pie' today."

"That wasn't my stomach!" Arme growled indignantly.

"That sounded like it came from the west." Jin opened the map again, frowning. "It's where–"

"Gardosen."

"What?"

"He's…he's one of her servants." Lass remembered the purple-and-yellow robed giant, who had loomed over him as she had given orders through his body. His aura had radiated death through every pore. The hatred he held for Gardosen was only second to Kaze'Aze, as he could never tell what was going on beyond that unfathomable mask of his (Did he even have a gender?) and he always seemed to be laughing at him.

"Something's coming!" Amy pointed to a reddish circular object in the sky that was hurtling towards them, the size becoming bigger with every second. They scattered just in time as it crashed onto the ground, making a mini-crater on the earth.

"What is it?" The Muse peered cautiously from behind.

"It's…it's a human skull!"

"Augh! Augh!" Both Arme and Amy had equal expressions of horrified disgust upon their faces.

Oh right, he almost forgot about that; Gardosen had also sworn to decorate his lair with ten thousand skulls of humans to build a shrine in honour of Kaze'Aze. Somehow that didn't quite suit Lass's tastes.

"This is Hell Bridge." Jin informed. "Odd…the map ends here. Is this the last location?"

"Yes," All heads turned towards the Assassin. "This is the final dungeon before Kaze'Aze's Castle. I know that much, at least."

"Then we go through Hell Bridge." Elesis crossed her arms. "And beat the hell out this Gardosen!"

"Considering that he is the Keeper of Hell, I'd be happy to assist."

Elesis's lips twitched, forming a reluctant smile for the Thief. "You still owe me a duel after this."

"I haven't forgotten."

"Just so we're aware."

"Sure."

"Let's go!"

* * *

A couple people have been asking me if I'm a guy, hahaha. Just because my name starts with a 'He', does not mean I'm a 'he'. I am most definitely a 'she'. I'll be laughing over that one for a while…

* = Gardosen's weird cry. That is how he sounds like...I think...

The lyrics? Just made them up on the spot. If there's a song that has more or less the same lyrics, don't blame me; I had no clue.  
Putting that aside, I'm not rushing things, am I? I was truly touched with the praise I've been getting :"] A thousand thanks~


	15. Sobering

Hell Bridge is the ideal vacationing place if you have a fetish for skulls, pointy rocks, foul-smelling skies, and red and blue defunct Power Rangers ready to impale you in the liver. It was also an excellent place to let off steam and discharge the anxiety and stress that have been building up for the last few days, particularly Elesis and Lass, who were attacking everything in their line of sight. It was probably a good thing that the Anmon Scouts were run by dark magic instead of blood; otherwise the whole place would have become a giant blood bath and everyone would lose their stomachs.

"Should we stop them? They might collapse." She said as she threw mini grenades at an Anmon Guard that was swinging its hammer at her.

Jin jogged beside Arme, shaking her head. "It's their form of release. Let them have their fun."

"Poor Elesis, I really hope we get Ronan back…whoops!" Swerving to the left, Amy lunged at the offending scout, cracking its head open with her violin. As it crumbled, the violin emerged without a single dent. "An idol needs her space!"" she pouted as she caught Jin staring at her. Blushing, she turned away. "Who else wants some?!"

Lire rubbed her head idly; a headache she'd acquired not too long ago was getting seriously bothersome. Quick as a gun, she shot another few scouts that had the misfortune to jump in her way. "Look." She pointed to a tall shady structure in the distance obscured by dark vapours, the tip of it just peeking out.

No words were needed to clarify the identity of the building as they quickened their pace.

Being the quicker of the two, Lass reached first the large barren field filled with piles of skulls that were arranged in a peculiar fashion, a foul stench emanating from them. Using his scarf to cover his nose and mouth, he looked around, his blade ready. The Keeper of Hell was many things, but not an artist. The 'temple' resembled more of a melting igloo than a shrine, the grinning teeth of the skulls making it even more monstrous. Dry bones and dismembered limbs with almost no flesh left were strewn around, causing him to quickly avert his gaze.

"Gardosen!" He shouted, looking around. No one was in sight.

"All right!" Elesis came huffing, her eyes still alight with her fire, "Where's the bastard? Let me at him!" Adrenaline was still running through her veins as she looked around for her adversary.

"Guys, wait up!" The other Chasers were not far behind as their voices rose in volume. But Lass did not hear them; he and Elesis were transfixed as they watched a chasm erupt on a massive boulder that stood in the middle, growing wider and wider as it opened like a mouth, sucking everything in. He could feel his scarf pulling off him, the darkness beckoning to him like an old friend…he could feel himself drawing to the endless hole as he stepped towards it. He was being lifted into the air, flying with the debris.

_Come home…_

"Oh no you don't!" With a yell, Elesis threw her Skill Key in the air, the golden metal resistant to the vacuum as Elesis no longer held her first blade but a giant slab of a weapon which she held with ease. With the strength of a Sword Master, she slammed it towards the barren earth, planting it firmly as she nabbed the Assassin by the back of his shirt, both of them flying like flags on the Giant Sword as the vacuum tried to drag them in. "You're not getting away that easily!"

Abruptly the vacuum stopped, the air shifting to its normal pace. No longer airborne, the pair plunged downwards, the ground springing up to catch Lass in the face. Spluttering, Lass sprang back up, his scimitar still in his hand as he looked up to see Gardosen right in the mask, his cape fluttering in the breeze.

Lass had seen Gardosen many times when _she_ was in his body, giving orders. Although their height differences were enormous, he followed his, no _her_ orders without a word of protest, doing as he was bidden. He never took off his mask or released his grip on his sword, but Lass could sense something terrible behind that impenetrable disguise, something very sinister. Very dangerous, and not someone to be trifled with.

The earth shook as he fell to his knees, bowing so low that his head nearly touched the ground.

"My Queen," a rasping voice grated from the mask, the tone ruthless as the winds that surrounded them. "What is your command?"

Lass snorted; the Hell Keeper was almost as powerful as his queen, and it'd take an idiot to suppose that Gardosen still believed that he was still under control. Top of that, his eyes actually had colour now, but he had no time to spare for words as he lashed his chain at him.

"_IPTILLUM!_" Raising his blade with a purple gloved hand, the demon summoned several giant flaming rocks that hurtled downwards, exploding into a fiery pit. The funny thing was, the Chase could clearly see where he had intended to strike with the magic red circles very obviously marking the locations, and no one was injured. The eight warriors were scattered around the death-field, weapons drawn with determined expressions.

Gardosen didn't seem too bothered by the advantage in number; he looked around vacantly as if he were facing a barrage of tiny ants. His mask came to rest on Lass. The Assassin could hear the sneer in his voice as he grated, "I never understood why the Queen would choose a pathetic fool like you as her chosen vessel: A weakly boy-child who can't even swing his blade properly. But I am glad she has finally understood your worthlessness. Is this the new trash you have found?" He scanned the party. "A makeshift groups of humans and…elves? So even they have banded with the human scum?"

"The only scum here is you!" Amy snapped angrily.

"If you do not wish to be destroyed, leave at once and return to the Underworld from whence you came." Jin stepped in, taking Ronan's position as the diplomat. "You have no place here."

"It is you who has no place here." He lashed at the elf. "Leave the slave; he is not your charge. Be gone and you may live longer."

"He stays with us." The elf responded quietly, but there was a definite edge to her voice. "And he is not a slave!" Contrary to her usual pacifistic nature, she dashed and catapulted forward, a spry handspring followed by a powerful lashing of her leg, planting her foot perfectly into the mask, an unexpected action that stunned her friends as well as the adversary; rarely did anyone see her attack so aggressively. But the rest quickly shook of their shock, following their comrade into battle.

Needless to say, Gardosen was really mad. The elf's kick was enough to make a dent in what he believed was his unbreakable helm, so he glided forwards, swinging his blade with lethal strikes. But while he was bigger than them in stature, that also enabled them with increased dexterity as they hovered around him like flies, never too close for too long for him to get a proper strike. Pointing his sword downwards, he raised the hilt slowly.

Immediately recognizing the familiar attack, Lass retreated, yelling, "Stand back! He's gonna–"

"Stone Curse!" He slammed the blade into the blood-soaked ground; a black hole-like object crackling with dark energy materializing that invisibly dragged the Chasers that couldn't dodge in time, turning their legs to stone.

"Hey...that's my attack! And I'm the only one that can drop meteors!" Arme pouted, her cheeks puffing angrily. "Doesn't that dude have any ideas of his own?!"

Without a word, he sliced at the Chasers who were drawn to the void, breaking the curse but effectively taking a good chunk of their health with it. They flung to the ground like ants, groaning.

"Just a lot of small fry…is this it?" He laughed as they struggled back onto their feet. "And they call you heroes?"

Arme quickly dragged Ryan out of the rubble. She took out her own Skill Key, planning to use her staff and spam her Firebolts instead to lugging around a stupid pot. But a hand stopped her. "Don't."

"Huh?" Confused, she turned to the orange elf. "Why?"

He smiled, an impish glint sparkling in his eyes. "Trust me."

When Gardosen charged enough power to initiate another Stone Curse, the Chasers instinctively backed away. As they withdrew, they could only watch in horror as Arme and Ryan allowed themselves to be pulled in. "What are you doing, you stupid idiots?" Elesis yelled. "Come back here!" Lass also made to move to stop them, but Jin held him back. "Trust the; they know what they're doing…probably."

"Are you sure?"

"…"

"Hee hee, it's like riding an invisible slide!" Arme squealed as she felt the force drawing her towards the crackling void.

"Okay, one the count of three: One…two…"

"Three!" She yelled just as they were within range of the spell. "Landmine Formation: _Epsilon Sigma!_*" What seemed like a barrage of landmines erupted from her pot before quickly merging into five spherical objects with magic runes fluttering around them, planting themselves in five different locations that surrounded the Hell Keeper, forming a glowing pink pentagram. Before she could be petrified into stone, she was suddenly rocketed into the air by Ryan, who was no longer Ryan, but the Guardian of Nature, Nephilim. Before Gardosen could react, the pair was high above his head as Arme threw a vial of sickish green liquid: "_Poison Cloud!_" creating a large cloud of foul green mist to descend on the evil head.

Gardosen screamed violently, trying to wave off the mist that was draped over his head, sapping his health and choking him. Caught up in dispelling the poisonous vapours, he failed to see the pentagram as it glowed brighter and brighter the lights dancing about like living things. In the meantime, Nephilim had pulled the mage safely away as they continued to float in the air.

The Chasers, seeing him distracted, attempted to rush towards the Hell Keeper, but the pentagram rejected their presence, throwing anyone who came within a foot of the magic circle a good 10 metres off. Arme yelled, "Don't go near it!"

"It'd been great if you told us earlier!"

Snarling, he dispersed the last of the green aura with his blade, radiating a murderous atmosphere. "I will make you suffer in Hell for eternity!" He attempted to hoist up his blade, only to be pulled back down by the pentagram, which crackled unstably with overwhelming energy. He let out a grunt of surprise as he found himself unable to move.

"Oh, don't struggle, it'll make it all the more harder." She said. "Ryan, quick!" Rumbling, Ryan pointed towards the ground, and one of his orange feathers blasted from its place like a missile, shooting towards the ground at an unearthly speed, gaining momentum with each second.

"What–"

At any other time, Arme would have happily explained the process, but she grinned evilly as Ryan's feather/meteor spiralled directly for one of the keystones of the unsteady pentagram. "Time's up."

**_CRACK! BOOM!_**

A thunderous sound shook the place as a the pentagram exploded, its five points blasting enough firepower to bring Gardosen to his knees as he was consumed by the sheer energy, the shining light become a destructive force that seemed to eat away at his robes and blade. The Keeper of Hell was not a likable character, but a shiver went through each of the Chaser's spines as they saw him wasting away.

"C-curse you…" He choked out, using his rusting blade to support himself. "It's amazing you even made it this far…"

"I'm not done yet!" she laughed, her sweaty hair in a wild disarray.

"You're doing great, Arme." The guardian whispered in her ear. "Just one more…" Keeping Arme safely airborne with one hand, he flew high and low to evade any upcoming strikes, readied his other fist and yelled, "Nature Punish!" the same time the mage dipped into her pot once more, shouting "Giant Hand!"

The combination of two punches effectively knocked the purple and yellow fiend backwards as he toppled over, parts of him still sizzling like a burnt house. He fell with a loud crash, the bones rattling as he landed unceremoniously in a muddled heap.

Sensing that the magic barrier had vanished, the Chasers rushed forward to finish him off, but the fastest being Lass, he rushed quickly, and before anyone could stop him, he whipped out his chain, using them to ensnare Gardosen by the throat, bringing him up to his eye level. All he felt in his heart was his hatred, which burned like an unquenchable fire, and readied his scimitar. "Pity your _queen_ isn't here to save you now." He said condescendingly. "Have fun back in hell."

"I will…see you there…soon enough…little Lass." He rasped out. "You…and all your little…friends."

"That was a pathetic attempt at bravado, bastard." Pressing the edge of his blade to the throat, he said, "I'll send her after to keep you company."

"Poor little…Lass Isolet…what would your…little friends do when they find out…what she did to…you…r…" A fit of maniacal laughter shook the lean frame. "Child…of…the damned…you…will…never…"

"Shut it." With exquisite expertise, he made a clean arc, his target shuddering once before becoming motionless. He turned away as the other Chasers approached the corner of his vision. The earth rumbled slightly, and the grinning skulls banged against each other at the slight tremor as if they were dancing and grinning with joy at the passing of their killer. But Lass felt no joy; the simple dialogue had tainted his vengeful triumph, filling him uncertainty. No doubt Gardosen had said those nonsensical words to befuddle him in his quest to bring Kaze'Aze, veer him off his course. No, he should take those words with a grain of salt, but his mind couldn't help but question.

"Haa…haa...did we do it?" Arme and Ryan joined them, Ryan now back to his elfy self as he hovered over the purple mage. "The jerk got it good…"

"Idiot! What were you thinking?" Elesis yelled. "You could have gotten killed!"

"Wow Elesis, you were actually worried for us?"

"No! I mean…" She crossed her arms. "It would have been a real pain if you guys died before the mission!"

"Sure, sure." Amy laughed easily. "But seriously, what did you guys do? That was some serious power, Arme!"

"Nothing that special. But I'll tell you guys once we're out of here, I don't want to stay in this graveyard." They looked around nervously, half-expecting the skulls to rise and attack them; it had happened too often in the Forsaken Barrows. The wave of adrenaline she had gained in combat was wearing off, and the little magician teetered uneasily; she had sacrificed a dangerously high amount of mana after using three skills in a row. "I'm so tired…"

"Here, I'll carry you!" Without waiting for a reply, the Sentinel scooped her up in his arms with a cheerful grin. "Wow Arme, you're light as a feather!"

"What? R-really?" Blushing to the roots of her hair, she was flushed but didn't seem at all displeased. "Am I really that light?"

"Can we go now?" Lass interrupted brusquely. He didn't mean to be rude, but he could see the castle looming over them in the far west, and it was not a spirit-uplifting sight.

"Absolutely. Let's go. I'll scout ahead." Lire gave a reassuring smile, but somehow it seemed very…forced? No. Just brittle. Very brittle. Before anyone could catch her discomfort, she quickly ran. Sobering en suite, the others also broke into a run, always keeping the menacing castle within their sight. The same thought lingered in their heads as they made their way: The sooner Ronan was back with them and Kaze'Aze gone for good, the sooner they could take a real break.

* * *

"So they're coming…" She said contemplatively. "And for him to follow them into such an obvious trap…my, his foolishness hasn't changed a bit, has it?" Laughing softly, she drifted towards a huge prism-like object that was encased in dark stone that was almost completely opaque yet translucent enough to show a faint outline of a human that seemed to be drifting amidst a clear, viscous liquid. His eyes were closed, but they subtle movements he made and the tightening of his eyelids proved that he was alive…barely.

Oh no, the Lady of Darkness never inflicted any physical wounds on her pets with her own hand. They were her cherished pets, her playthings, and what good was it to despoil them? No, everything had to do with the mind and the heart, to torture them using powers that were beyond their comprehension. But Kaze'Aze had to admit, cutting off all that filthy hair and ponytail did make him look a bit more like Lass. But Lass was pathetic, weak-willed. This one just needed more time before his heart failed, allowing her darkness to take over. Since when had his will become so strong?

"But you, my dear, you wouldn't want to go with them, would you?" She caressed the surface of the rocks with the touch of a mother. "Maybe if they're good, I'll let all of you live here…but Lass will always be my favourite, that can't be helped. But I'll take turns, and make sure that all of you are disciplined very thoroughly…"

He gave no reply, though his fingers continued to twitch in irregular spasms.

"Such a handsome boy…then again, the Erudon family is known for their looks as well as their chivalry…" Her tone turned very slightly rueful. "They have not changed much since…"

His fingers suddenly went slack, although the eyebrows were still pulled together. So helpless…

"But that is past. Now, Ronan Erudon," she pressed her fingers lightly against the rugged surface, "why don't you show me your desires…your dreams…your _nightmares?_ After all, in my castle…" she cackled, "…I can make you see all these things…"

His hands suddenly balled into fists, his arms starting to tremble.

"…for eternity…"

His face took on a grotesque expression; he was trying to wake up. But it was like his eyelids were sewn shut, because they just wouldn't open.

"…and when you finally give up…"

She scrunched her fingers into her palm.

"…my darkness will be your guide once again."

* * *

Okay, I guarantee you all that they will actually go _inside_ the stupid castle next chapter. I guess I tend to add details too much...but that's my writing style, hahaha~

13 favourites? I thank each and every one for you for actually taking the time to scroll down and marking that checkbox. Just...wow. Wow. Who would have known? Thank you!

*Epsilon Stigma...of course, no such skill in GC exists. This is ancient Greek: Epsilon means 5, Stigma means 200. The pentagram has five points each set with a landmine, so my intention was = "5 landmines with the power of 200 in a pentagram formation." Naturally a skill like this would probably have a mass delay, so...teamwork rules! Hee!

Warning: I'm going to try my hand in some more fluff next chapter as well. Thank guys, for bearing with me slowness! I really appreciate it :)


	16. Entering

There was no laughter, no talk as the eight warriors ran and ran. Things were getting serious now; even the sun seemed to have turned morose, beating the group mercilessly with its scorching heat and blinding rays as it began to descend. All their supplies were incinerated, but it was of no importance. Their resolve strengthened as they continued to sprint. What did change, however, was the scenery, as shrubbery and signs of life diminished, replaced by jagged rocks, coarse sand, and spiky black objects that looked like dead trees, but when Elesis had punched one out of her way it snapped off like a straw, revealing to be made of some dark brittle substance that certainly wasn't wood.

Unless Kaze'Aze planned to finish him off sooner, they had only today to go in, kick butt, and rescue Ronan. If they couldn't set foot in the castle by sunset, they were officially utterly screwed. But even then, the Chase wasn't sure what exactly was happening to Ronan. There were tales, ill-omened tales of dark magic rendering a person into such a horrendous state that death would be a mercy. Naturally, they tried not to dwell on that.

So they ran. Well, Ryan flew as the Avatar of Nature's Wrath, as it was the only form that enabled him to keep pace with the others while he held a drained Arme who had fallen asleep soon after. Despite their situation, no one had the heart to wake her; it was a rest she needed. Judging from their speed and distance, there would be more than enough time for the magician to catch some repose before they faced their adversary.

To Lass, the whole situation was ironic as well as infuriating and fearful. She had taken such troubles to try to re-capture her quarry, only to have it return to her lair by his own feet and uncontrolled mind, along with a bunch of other people who were also her enemies. If things went her way, it would be killing two birds with one stone. things weren't going to go her way, he thought. Today he was going to see the end of his nightmares, the darkness.

Despite these thoughts that ran through his head, little by little Lass abandoned his former resolve not to recall Gardosen's last words. So he had a last name: Isolet. Lass Isolet. Was that what she had named him? He'd thought that all she'd done to him was tainting his hands with innocent blood, slaughtering without reason. What else could she have taken from him? His mind whirring with uncertainty, he resisted the urge to bash his head against a tree.

_what would your…little friends do when they find out…what she did to…you…r…_

_Shut up_, he told himself. He'd know everything sooner or later anyways. Shaking the silver hair that clouded his eyes, he attempted to drive out the poisonous thoughts.

"Hey, Lass!" A female voice called out to him.

He turned, although he already knew the source. "Yes?"

Elesis yelled, "Don't get possessed again!"

Of course he wouldn't. He would never let anyone toy with him again. "Same to you!" But as he said it, he felt as if the atmosphere had dropped ten degrees. But it was not just his own fear. The castle…_she_…was definitely near.

"Ha! As if that'll happen! I'm gonna smash Kaze'Aze to the ground!" Deriving renewed strength from her own words, Elesis seemed to run a bit faster. Her hand which had been busted from the vase was still encased in the bandage that Ronan had wrapped so carefully for her. Nephilim emitted a deep growl in agreement. Arme snored.

"Lire?" So far, Lire had run the fastest without a single word of complaint, but she had abruptly skidded to a halt, looking around like an alarmed doe. Her facial expression was still an iron visage of composure, but she looked as if she expected the very ground to explode any moment. Elesis caught up to the elf, laying a concerned hand on her shoulder. "Something off? Are we close? Is Ronan okay?"

For a split second Lire remained immobile, then relaxed just as quickly, delivering her words in a calm tone, "Something is…amiss. Each step we take, the evil energy grows, but the castle still seems far-off. I don't understand." She shook her head. "Even the insects and animals that could usually survive in a desert environment with monsters cannot inhabit these lands. It feels close, but it seems so far. As for Ronan…"

"_He is the same, but something is changing."_ Beads of moisture ran down the humanoid creature's face. None of them had ever seen a tree spirit sweat. _"A malignant force is eating into him. If the aura continues to expand, I will have to discard my petal or risk corruption."_

"_Then dispose of it now."_ While evil energies could do colossal damages to a weakened being of nature and life such as elves and good spirits, they did no lethal harm to a strong and healthy elf. But Lire had been feeling glitchy for a while, like a mosquito bite that wouldn't' stop itching. It was not lethal, but it was certainly wearing her concentration and patience down. Glancing back, Ryan seemed to be in better shape, but one could see that all his fur…feathers(?) stood on end. _"We are almost there anyway, and there is no need to risk early casualties."_

Saku seemed a little annoyed at having to sacrifice her petal. Indeed it was a part of her substance and magic, and she had hoped to retrieve it once the opportunity came. But she made no move to argue, as she flicked her sleeve. _"It is done."_

"Okay, let's go!" Elesis made to move again, this time stopped by Ryan, who had reverted back into a Sentinel, gently laying Arme against the smooth side of a boulder nearby before running over. "Not a good idea."

"Aw, we haven't even stepped in, and you already got cold feet? Man up, Ryan."

"No! Lire is right. If the castle is the source of the evil energy, then it means it's really near. The castle in the distance…I'm beginning to think it's not real. It could be an illusion."

Now the Red Knight really paused, her scepticism giving away to perturbed contemplation. They were in the middle of this godforsaken wasteland that only had sand, rocks, and fake trees, where not even the dumbest of Orcs lounged about. What would her father say? "Just fight on" or "Listen to your friends with their cryptic messages"? She sighed. "Fine. I'm okay with whatever plan you have, just as long as it's the fastest way to Ronan and that bi–"

"Oh really!" Amy grumbled. "Stop being such a potty mouth! Even Ronan hates your swearing!"

"Shut up, pumpkin face!" Elesis rounded on the Muse. "Stop whining like a stupid child!"

"So now I'm _stupid?_"

"Hey–"

"We don't have time for this. Ronan's in danger!"

"Excuse me–"

"Yeah, no thanks to her! What does he see in her, I have no idea!"

"I think that…"

"What in the Hell's that supposed to mean?"

"Idiot. It means–"

"_SHUT UP!_" Arme had woken from a peaceful bout of slumber only to be greeted by the charming voices of the Chasers conversing with one another at their maximum volume, which was the worst kind of alarm a person could wake up to. Inwardly she knew this would happen; tension would rise and people (Elesis) would snap, but it still made her cringe. And mad. Their friend was going through Gods-know-what, and they still had time to fight among themselves? "JUST SHUT UP!" she yelled again as she aimed a searing Firebolt directly for the group, all of whom had clustered together to fight or placate.

A series of screams ensued as they dived out of the way, the Fireball scorching brilliantly as it zipped by the bewildered Chasers, who looked on in awe before turning on the now fully powered mage. Elesis was the first to regain her voice, berating the purple magician harshly. "What were you trying to do? Burn us all into a crisp?!"

"No, just your mouth. Then we'd at least have some reason!"

Like he did with most unpleasant events, Lass tried to tune them out, his eyes mindlessly following the blazing path of the Firebolt. How strange; it lost neither power nor speed as it kept going, going…the light was almost hypnotic in the abruptly darkening setting. He had to give Arme credit; that was one persistent fireball. It kept flying, flying…gone.

Gone?

"Guys! Come quick!" He blurted. He pointed, but the Chasers did not listen. They were already engaged in _another_ argument gala, this time with sparks literally flying about. By now he'd had enough. He was not one to yell to get people's attention, so he jammed his hand inside his pocket and pulled out a kunai that looked like it had been dipped in liquid rainbows. He had used this once…but another couldn't hurt. The boulder that Arme had leaned against was far enough to not cause real injury, but close enough to create a scare. With a clean flick of his wrist, he flung the kunai at the boulder.

**BANG!**

For all its flashy show, a firework cannot do real damage, especially to something durable as a boulder. But the sound had jarred the Chasers, some of them possibly thinking that it was Kaze'Aze. With a couple of sword swings and a few magical notes, the unfortunate rock was blasted to smithereens, then completely ground into dust as Elesis kept pounding on it before regaining her senses.

"Lass has something to say." Jin quickly announced once the stone was forever gone from the world. "What is it?"

"Arme, blast another Firebolt in that direction."

"What? Why should I?" Still incensed, Arme was feeling very snippy, flaunting her immaturity. "Do you want me to burn off Elesis's mouth?"

"You–"

Lass chose not to argue; that would goad both of them further and eat up precious time. He turned to Lire, the next person he could think of that was a pro at shooting magical projectiles at extremely long distances. "Lire, shoot an arrow in that direction…please." he added, realizing that he sounded too demanding.

Unlike Arme, the elf did not question; Lass was not someone who would inquire something without a valid reason. "As you wish," she replied as she readied her crossbows. "_Dive Bombing!_" A piercing green bolt erupted from her weapons, flying like a dazzling emerald comet…now, everybody could see that it was slowing down, which was odd; the only times they had seen it slow down was right before it hit an enemy. Then they saw what Lass saw: it was getting absorbed, sucked in by an invisible force. The light spluttered, then slowly fizzed out as the very air around it rippled, smoothed, and then vanished. Poof! Gone without a trace.

"…What?"

"Whoa. That means…"

The argument quickly forgotten by this newfound revelation, Arme now stepped forward. "It's magic." she breathed. Just to make sure, she whipped out her staff and shouted "_Lightning Bolt!_" Crackles of electrical energy issued from the baton, quickly absorbed into thin air like the others with another air ripple. But apparently this was not what Arme was looking for, as she gritted her teeth in irritation. She called, "Hey, Jin! Go stand over there."

"Huh? Why?"

"Just do it! And hold your stick-thingy really tight!"

He sighed. "okay, okay…"

Holding his Chamma, he did as Arme bid, looking very confused.

Whatever he was expecting, he certainly wasn't expecting her to create another bolt of lightning, this time aimed directly at him. It was coming at him at an unearthly speed; the only thing he could do was block it with his Chamma. Gripping the stick like a lifeline, he swung it in front of him to collect the lightning, then upwards to deflect the attack. The force of the energy nearly overwhelmed him, but he stood firm as crackles of lightning sizzled around him.

The other Chasers would have tackled the mage to the ground immediately, but another sight greeted them instead. The Chamma was acting as a lightning conductor, deflecting Arme's attack upwards and causing it to splay in several directions. Crackles of raw electrical energy split in many directions like a wild, clawed hand, but the bolts split in different spaces, which created air ripples that resonated with each other as the thin air vibrated, distorting the surroundings. Rather than stopping it, Arme intensified the bolt, which increased the concentration of the ripples, which joined together to expose a huge, translucent barrier.

As the awed Chasers looked on, they heard a very audible _crack_. The lightning was dancing violently, which illuminated the slowly darkening sky. The yellow bolts continued to ruthlessly probe the surface of the now not-so-invisible barrier until a very visible split formed underneath the undiluted current, which widened into a gaping fissure.

"We have to help!" But there was no need, as the barrier completely shattered into nonexistence under the lightning magic, revealing that there never was an intimidating castle in the remotely far-off distance; it was right in _front_ of them. By now the sun had fled, as if it didn't dare to shine down on such a place. And it had ample reason to not: the place repelled it. Huge dark boulders provided foundation for giant purple towers that stretched everywhere with its twisted designs, and the tip of each tower held a blue diamond that sparkled dimly. And of course, lots of dark purple vines and chains were placed everywhere to lighten things up.

"Blue things are power cores." Lass half-explained, half-mumbled. "One of the castle's defences."

"Hah!" Arme withdrew her staff, ceasing the lightning. "So _there_ it is!"

"There it is." Jin agreed. For someone who had nearly been burnt to ashes, his composure was still somewhat retained. "And for that, I will forgive you for nearly electrocuting me to death. But couldn't it have been better to at least give a warning?"

"Nah, didn't have time."

"Jin!" Amy rushed forward, laying a supporting arm around his shoulders. "Are you all right?"

"Y-yeah."

"The castle's just as twisted as its owner." Elesis snorted in disgust. But she also felt a measure of triumph. "If she thought that barrier would stop us, she's dead."

"She made it weak on purpose." As soon as he said that, the Assassin realized that it was true. There was no way a huge magic barrier could be destroyed so easily by a fireball, an enchanted arrow, and some lightning, unless it had been deliberately made fragile. "She's toying with us."

"Damn her!"

Practical as usual, Lire pointed out their current problem. "So, how do we get in?"

Here Lass hesitated, "I…don't know. She uses magic to travel, and she doesn't have much visitors…" His words faltered off as a dark portal formed before their eyes, the dark energy hissing like a cauldron. The seven could feel an unseen force tugging weakly at their legs, beckoning them to enter.

"Well, there's our invitation." Ryan said lightly. "Shall we start?"

"Duh, isn't that why we're here?"

The anticipation was so thick in the air, almost like a tangible thing. Weapons were drawn, Mana was charged to the max, and arsenals of secret weapons in their pockets were prepared as well as final words of encouragement were murmured; after all, anything could happen.

"Don't exhaust yourself, Arme." He clasped her shoulders.

Amy didn't say anything, but she astonished Jin (and everyone else as a result) by giving the Asura a giant hug that would've cracked a normal person's ribs. And, because it was Ryan, the Druid had to whistle approvingly as Jin hugged her back. Elesis, who would've usually ignored this type of fluff, just grunted, then startled herself when an image of Ronan crept into her mind.

Lass, who was also watching dumbly, felt something gently press his hand. Turning, he saw Lire, who looked back evenly with a small smile that looked a little embarrassed, but also serene. She said nothing, just held his hand as if it was the most obvious thing to do. It was hard to tell if it was just him, but the contact made him feel all warm inside. It wasn't painful.

Too soon she let go, just in time for Elesis to clear her throat and yell, "All right! Let's get them in one go!"

"This is it!"

"The larger the enemy, the larger the victory." Jin quoted a Silver Knight proverb as he calmly cracked his knuckles before wielding out his Chamma.

"May the Gods have favour upon us." Amy agreed. With that, they leapt into the void, not even blinking an eye as the portal closed up behind the last Chaser. They were not afraid. They were fearless combatants, ready for battle.

She smiled a very twisted smile. "Now, let us start."

* * *

Yes, finally, our heroes are in the stupid castle. Who'd have known that it'd take 16 chapters?

I know I'm being stupid, juggling three stories at once, but don't worry. It wouldn't be fair to disappoint readers, right? I'll be sure to stick around to finish :)


	17. Trolling

Had Kaze'Aze given the order, she could have convened a gigantic swarm of monsters to overwhelm the seven Chasers. She could have sent wave after wave of her minions to wear them down and pick them off like bugs.

But for her, that was too easy, too unexciting. She loved to plan, to scheme, to play games. After all, wasn't that how she formulated the five-year war, pitting two monarchs against each other and ravaged Bermesiah with massive carnage?

Yes, she always played with her food before eating it. She glanced to her newest underling, who knelt before her. At the flick of her hand he raised his head, revealing wide eyes with no pupils just like his predecessor. Good enough, but nowhere near the power she had with her Lass. She'd get him back, but perhaps a lesson on the consequences of siding with her enemies…

"Gather the forces below and tear them apart. Let us see how they will face their former comrade…"

He jerked up, and melted into the darkness.

"…especially that redhead whose father I sent to the abyss." She laughed. "I don't doubt that she'll want to see you."

* * *

"Come on." Elesis urged. She was worried about Ronan (just a little bit, she told herself), and her father, hoping that he might be here somewhere. The prospect of seeing him again made her anxiously excited. "Let's go—Ow!" she yelped as she felt something smack her head. Turning, the redhead, saw a small rock clatter to the ground.

"What the hell was that for?!"

"Don't look at me! That came from over…there…" Amy faltered as the ground rumbled, two gigantic hideous golems composed of charred rock and evil magic erupting from the gaping earth, their soulless eyes concentrated on the seven. A gravelly roar echoed as they picked up rocks of all sizes.

"Move!" They scattered, narrowly evading the projectiles as they crashed against the walls. _Boom!_

Once the initial shock was over, they tried to retaliate, but it's not easy to that when half the earth's flying at you. Elesis managed to get in a swing, but only sparks flew from the contact, barely making a dent. In fact, it just seemed to irritate the golems more. The very fortress trembled as boulders were tossed everywhere like beach balls.

"Ow! Stupid little—eyah!" Arme squealed; had she moved a second later, she would have become a bloody smear on rock. She needed to cast some sort of protective ward, but to do that, she'd need to focus. Maybe a small corner, something…

"We can't keep this up! Somebody do something!" Amy yelped as a rock the size of a fist landed just below her eye, opening a deep cut. "Agh!"

"What does it _look_ like we're doing, stupid?"

"We can't keep attacking it with brute force; it's just going to make it worse." Lire panted as she ducked under a whizzing boulder. "If we can't break it from inside, we'll just have to…"

"…dissolve it from the inside?" Lass finished before jumping out of the way, a rock narrowly missing his head. "Good luck."

"There's a way out!" Amy pointed to a small entrance that wasn't there before that lead to a corridor. It seemed big enough for a person to squeeze through, and right now it seemed a lot better than fighting invincible rock monsters. "Let's go!"

They tried to edge towards the opening, but the golems were a lot smarter than they looked; they started clomping towards the gap, launching stones the size of refrigerators, one aimed right for the redhead.

"&#$%!" Was all Elesis managed to get out as she braced for an impact that…never came. Opening one eye, she blinked in confusion as all the rocks were levitating harmlessly, a purple light swirling around the floating mass. "What?"

"I can't keep this up forever! Move!" Arme was standing some distance away among discarded chunks of granite, sweating profusely as light pulsed from her staff.

The usually assertive leader made to go, then hesitated; would they all make it? She seemed awfully far away…

"Do you want to be crushed? GO!" She yelled, her small frame trembling from the overload as she struggled to keep it up. "I'll be right behind—"

"Elesis, watch out!" A stray rock slammed into her back, knocking her breath out as she was propelled through the hole. She felt other bodies scrambling through the cavern, groaning and yelling. Ignoring the pain, she quickly turned back, "Hurry up—" she yelled to the purple magician before she heard a pained shriek. The magician collapsed onto the ground; without her magic to uphold, the boulders also crashed down, barricading the gap completely.

"_Arme!_"

* * *

"We should go back! Maybe there's still time…"

"It would take days to clear everything, and another to comb through the rubble for her. What if she's...you can kill the golems, but what would that do? We're in Kaze'Aze's palm right now. I think we'd do Arme a bigger favour by killing the witch instead of looking for her through all that mess. Besides...she's strong. She could handle it." Lire tried to assure. "Besides, she's not alone."

"Huh?"

"Hey, where's Ryan?" The male elf, like the mage, was nowhere in sight of the dark, musty corridor the remaining five had stumbled into. It reeked of evil, and the torches that blazed against the walls flickered threateningly.

"He's with her. That has to be something."

"It's not bloody much." Elesis looked up, anger kindling in her eyes.

"But it'll have to do." Jin dusted himself off, wincing in pain. "Ow! Amy, could you…?"

"I can try…" Amy shrugged as she readied her chakrani. "Get ready for Amy's Dance Fever…"

Lass found himself constantly looking back at the heap of rocks. They smiled at him, called him friend, and now they were in this mess. But this time, he would pick up his blade and avenge them, avenge everybody. Their leader was clearly incensed, their loss only enflaming her anger, Amy dancing around with healing magic less potent than Arme's, the other redheaded warrior was tightening the bandages around his arms, and Lire was sitting on a rock, breathing heavily as she kept glancing at the rocks.

"Are you okay?" He asked, perturbed by her sudden unconcealed signs of agitation.

She smiled weakly. "It's nothing. Amy, are you done?" At the Dancer's assent, she hastily rose. "We should hurry. There's not much time before…" the elf trailed off, not looking anyone in the eye.

"Before what? Lire, is everything okay?" Lass grabbed her hand, then recoiled at the contact. "Why is your hand so hot?"

"What?" They clustered around her, Amy putting a hand to her forehead. "Gods, Lire! You're burning!"

"It's nothing." she dismissed. "Elven sensitivity. Right now the priority is Kaze'Aze; once she's finished, it'll be fine."

"But you weren't this bad when we first—"

"Hey…there's something up ahead!" Jin pointed ahead, where someone…or something seemed to be moving in the darkness. Quickly they hurried to discover a...

"…Crossroad?" The corridor widened, splitting into three passageways that looked equally sketchy and foreboding. Whispering voices seemed to come from the each, instilling a slight chill. The five faltered, unsure of which way to go. "Should we split up?"

"No." Lass answered sharply as all head turned to him. "That's what she does; splitting groups apart and picking them off one by one. We'd be playing right into her hands if we did."

"Then what should we—there!" Her red eyes widened as she saw a figure shift almost imperceptibly in the right path. Elesis didn't have elven vision or anything like that, but it was impossible to miss the long blue ponytail that swished from behind. "Wait!"

At the same time, a pair of eyes looked out from the black of the left hallway, looking at the silver-haired boy. When he turned, she giggled as blue eyes meet red, an expression of rage clouding his face. Her purple hair, the colour of venom, hissed at him. "You!" He yelled, trembling with anger as he swiped for the demoness.

Jin and Amy could only watch in bafflement as their friends shouted at people they themselves could not see, fighting demons they could not hear. But as Amy attempted to follow a frantic Elesis, the right corridor suddenly closed up like a mouth, the surface smoothing over as if it had never been, and Amy smacked into a wall.

"Elesis! Lass!"

Lire lunged after Lass, grabbing an arm and a fistful of hair just before the left corridor also disappeared, leaving only the middle path for the remaining two, who were a tad terrified that they had lost everyone else in less than ten minutes. "Look!" Amy cried, pointing at the middle corridor, which was also beginning to close up. In seconds they would be left, with no way out. No way out…

Jin held a firm grasp on the girl before springing forward, barely making it as the wall slammed down behind them with a bang. His bruises were not yet completely mended, and he braced for a violent landing that would bash him to the bone.

But there was nothing. There were no walls, no ceiling, no ground. Amy and Jin were falling through a giant emptiness, falling into a bottomless pit, through nil. Amy looked like she was about to say something, but she had left her stomach somewhere up above.

Also rendered speechless, Jin gripped his princess tighter, holding her close to him.

* * *

Unlike her comrades from Silver Land, Elesis did not stumble across an infinite void of nothingness. She landed on hard ground, her sword trailing behind her as she looked for any signs of danger. She had momentarily panicked when she realized she was alone, but after a while, she steeled herself, determined to look for her friends once she killed off the witch.

Speaking of which…where was he? "Ronan?" she hesitantly called out, but only her echo bounced back."Show yourself, damn it!"

"_Show yourself, damn it!_" Her echo repeated, mocking her. "_Show yourself, damn it!_"

Sensing an approaching figure behind her, she swung her blade and turned to face…a lost friend. She blinked her eyes, believing that she was staring at an illusion. But he came closer with each step, his eyes hooded with long blue hair.

"Idiot, where have you been?" Elesis snapped, her voice coming out harsher than intended. "We've been worried sick over you!" A part of her wanted to run into him and make sure he was okay, but she found herself in her battle stance, bracing her nerves. Something seemed very wrong. Very wrong. She inclined her head, frowning. "Are you…okay?"

He raised his head, but instead of reassuring irises of gentle indigo, there was nothing, only white. There weren't even any pupils. Elesis had only seen those eyes once, and that was when she was fighting a silver-haired boy.

"$#$%&! Kaze'Aze you #$&%$#&!" she screamed as realization hit her, raising her sword as a dark bolt of energy rocketed straight for her. "Ronan!"

He didn't answer, swinging forwards as he projected a Rune Spiral. Elesis hesitated to attack; she did not want to hurt him, and was pondering on what to do as she met his every thrust and bolt with an evasive block. For the first time, Elesis found herself with a problem she was unable to solve with violence; she had defeated enemies much bigger and stronger than the heir of the Erudon family, but never had she faced an opponent that she couldn't kill.

"Come on, Ronan!" She yelled, "You said you were stronger than this!"

He slashed for her face, and as she raised her blade to block, he jabbed his other hand at her side, releasing a close-distance Ragna Bolt that knocked her over flat. Before she could get up, Ronan leapt up, blade pointed to the ground.

Her eyes widened as she recognized the signature attack of the Kanavan Kingdom; if she was caught in the Kanavan Strike, it would be over. She propelled herself sideways, forcing her body to roll out of the way. Soaring back down, a magic circle formed underneath him, multiple blue blades erupting from the ground. His quarry had escaped the domain, but he couldn't cancel the spell till it was complete.

Urgency now lead Elesis into feverish mental activity as she racked for a solution. Maybe she could _almost_ kill him…but that wouldn't work. Then, what?

"_So you wield both magic and sword?"_

"_That I do, Miss Elesis." He said with a smile. "The Erudon household has long since upheld the tradition of mastering both the magic and the Way of the Sword."_

"_How…how does that work? I only use my sword, and it does magic stuff, I mean…"_

"_Your sword, Miss Elesis," Ronan patiently explained, "is both an instrument and object of your power. Everyone has magic in them; few ever discover it, much less learn to use it. Your full magic is shown through your blade; without it, your power would be limited indeed. As for me," he continued, "I wield my magic by both blade and hand."_

"_Huh, that's handy…so if I took your sword, you'd just be another Arme?"_

"_No, Miss Elesis." He laughed at the thought. "Miss Arme is more powerful in those terms; to her, magic is her primary weapon. I am a Spell Knight, but I am no mage. If I had no sword, it would be very hard indeed…improperly channelled magic has disastrous consequences…"_

Elesis would have gone through more of her flashbacks and maybe came up with a solution, but Kaze'Aze chose that moment to taunt her through Ronan: _Pathetic girl, are you already admitting defeat?_

"Damn you!" She snapped, knowing that she was goading her yet still getting consumed by her fury anyway. "Come fight me yourself, coward!"

_You could just kill him, you know_, she continued casually. _Better get it over with. He can't hear you anyway…all gone…just like your pathetic excuse of a father…_

"What!"

_That's right, girl…I sent your father into the dark, __**dark**__ depths…he's still screaming in the abyss!_

Her eyes widened at the last words and she charged, snarling like a wildcat. The witch smiled, thinking she finally goaded her victim into murdering the boy. Then the resulting horror and guilt would consume the redhead, allowing darkness to creep in…and rule.

However, she'd underestimated; for all her rashness and violent demeanour, Elesis was still a knight. And no matter how brash, even she respected the number one rule of a knight: always protect the life of an innocent.

As she ran closer to the possessed knight, she slanted her blade so that Ronan faced the flat end and slapped at his hand, the blow enough to sting, but not maim. Without its holder to channel the magic, the Spell Sword clattered harmlessly to the ground; seizing the moment, Elesis raised her blade with a yell and smashed down on the smaller sword. The resulting _CLANG_ from the contact was loud enough to deafen most people's ears, and when the redhead raised her sword, the Spell Sword was ruined, the blade smashed clean through.

As Ronan stared blankly at the shattered blade, Elesis swung back her free hand and punched him square in the chest.

"Come back, you stupid son of an Orc!" she snapped, sheathing her own sword so she could use both hands to knock some sense into him. "You're better than this! You said we'd defeat Kaze'Aze together! You—"

A sudden force sent her flying backwards onto the ground, face-first. As she spit out the rocks that had lodged themselves in her mouth, she turned around to see…Ronan, still being a son of an Orc, brandishing another blade that was longer than his sword, but shorter than a lance, somewhat like a polearm. She had forgotten that Ronan was a _Dragon Knight_ as well as a Spell Knight.

"You're really pushing it today." she grumbled as she flipped her sword in the air, a gleaming spear landing on her outstretched fingers. The words came out barely above a whisper: "Come back…please…"

* * *

Although he was not thinking straight, Lass felt his hair being yanked out of their roots by an unwavering hand as he plummeted through the darkness. Damn it, was it Kaze'Aze? Instinctively he jerked backwards so that he landed directly on top of his pursuer on the rocky ground with a satisfying crunch of gravel. His satisfaction, however, quickly morphed into guilt as he saw waves of blonde hair and dazed green eyes. He quickly got off her, checking her limbs for any injuries. "Sorry! I thought you were…_her_…"

"Ow." she winced as she attempted to lift herself up, eyeing her latest bruises and cuts. "It was my fault, jumping on you like that without warning anyway. Don't worry…"

"Still, I shouldn't have…" Searching for a means to rectify his mistake, he shuffled through his pockets. Chains…no…kunai…great, give her more injuries…bandages…a health potion that Ronan gave him on his first day at the castle, a distant memory now…

"Here." He awkwardly held out the last two items to her, which she accepted gratefully.

"Thanks." She smiled tiredly. The castle was definitely taking a toll on her; her usually graceful fingers fumbled with the bandages and signs of obvious pain showed on her face despite her best efforts to hide them. "Darn…hold on a bit…"

Lass looked on for a bit, then stepped in. "Here, I'll do it."

"Ah, it's okay! I can do it!"

"I don't think so."

She protested for a few more minutes, then fell silent as he ignored her. With near-clinical precision, he bandaged whatever gashes he could see and made sure she drank the entire content of the red tonic. Lass couldn't help but notice how fair her skin was…whoops, stupid thought and wrong time. Suddenly remembering, he put a hand to her forehead, the way Amy did; his hand seemed to sizzle at the touch.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm…I'm fine." Her words were in contrast to her appearance, but she got up. Her face was tinged pink. "It's just…"

_My my…how sweet._ A voice dripped with sarcasm. They looked up to see Kaze'Aze standing some distance away, decked in shadowy finery and a mantle black on one side, crimson on the other. Her hair was splayed in curls, framing a face bone-white with scarlet eyes and a withering sneer.

_So, this is your new mistress, Lass…? How charming,_ she said, not sounding as if it was very charming at all.

"You!" Lass lashed his chain out at her, jolting in surprise as the black metal went right through her, her figure disappearing in a puff of smoke. "YOU!"

_Me_, she responded calmly as she re-materialized on the other side. _Is that how you welcome your former master, boy? After bringing in our enemies right to my castle?_

"They're your enemies, not mine!" He screamed, slashing at another illusion as more kept appearing. "I won't let you hurt any of them!"

_Tsk tsk, such big words._

"Lass, calm down." Lire placed a placating hand on his shoulder, the warmth diffusing his anger slightly. "She's playing you; don't let her control your anger."

He glanced sideways, saw her with a determined expression as she took out her crossbows. She eyed the illusion of the witch carefully for several seconds, then Lass saw her ears twitch as she jutted out her left hand, rapid-firing several arrows to her left. They heard an audible crack, and a wail of pain as the Kaze'Azes disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"There's something hidden over there that caused the multiple illusions." Lire kept her crossbows out as she took a careful step forward. "Some sort of enchantment?"

BAM!

Whatever it was, Lire would never get to know, because in that instant, a black beam suddenly blasted out of nowhere, smack into Lire. Even her elven instincts were too slow; with a small groan, she collapsed motionless.

Even Lass with his heightened senses did not see it coming; one moment Lire stood fine, next thing he knew she was on the floor. "Lire!" He started for the elf, but he felt a slight chill run down his back. Why was it suddenly becoming so cold?

He gave an involuntarily shudder, warmth draining from his body. He half-stumbled to Lire, checking her pulse. Still breathing. Good; she should wake up soon. Problem was…when?

"Just kill her, boy. She is going to die anyway; might as well shorten the process."

He looked up; she stood right before him, eyeing the elf as if it was a disgusting bug. Lass didn't know if she was an illusion or the real thing, but when she swung back her foot to kick for Lire, he automatically leapt back, holding Lire protectively with one arm, holding his blade in the other.

"Don't touch her!" he snapped, noticing that the rocks crumbled at her feet, proving that she was no illusion; this was…Kaze'Aze!

"Has Lass gotten a new toy?" she smirked, making no move to step closer. "And it seems he doesn't want to share?"

"Shut your mouth! You blasted—"

"Such foul, foul words." She chided. "You have been a very bad boy, haven't you? If you stop this nonsense now, I might even let you keep your little toy…of course, after she's…"

"Keep your filthy hands off her!" He whipped his black chain at her, his frustration increasing as she easily caught the end with her hands with a slightly amused expression.

"Oh~? How little you know, my pet…" she yanked at the black metal, jerking him closer. Her mocking smile faltered, changed into a vile sneer, one filled with scornful hate.

"Do you want to know what my real plan was, boy?" she spit the words with a detestable growl.

Lass didn't answer. The battle had taken a different turn; Kaze'Aze always knew the right words to throw him off. A modicum of sense washing through him again, he felt his limbs go weak. Damn it, why did his skin feel like it was freezing? His vision…no, had to keep focus.

"The _Grand Chase_," she said as if the words poisoned her mouth, "Humanity's last ploy, to use a mere handful of _children_ to defeat me!" Bit by bit, she drew the chain closer, smirking as Lass found himself unable to let go.

"But I knew them. And I knew you, you and that pathetic heart of yours. I could have given you the whole world into your very hands…but you refused it. Foolishness!"

"You…killed people." He retorted. "Like hell…I was gonna…!"

"Oh, but you did, didn't you?" She smiled, savouring the memories. "Of course I had to force you every time, but you _did_…

"And then, you escaped…do you think I, the Grand Queen of Eternal Darkness, simply _erred?_ Do you think that it was your own skills and luck that enabled you to join the Grand Chase and gain their trust?"

"…?!"

"That's right, fool!" she cackled, seeing the shock that spread on his face. "I let you escape, join the pathetic weaklings! I could have simply controlled you to slaughter them all! Their bones would be rotting, you would be back in my hands, and the rest of humanity would have drowned in darkness!" she screamed with mirth.

"Yes, it would have been so wonderful." She resumed, after her laughter subsided. "But then _she_ had to interfere…for a 'neutral' party, elves are an irritating species…"


End file.
